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PUBLISHED BY THE 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

AND 

IMMIGRATION 

COMPILED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF GEO.W. KOINER, COMMISSIONER 




His Excellency WESTMORELAND DAVIS, Governor of Virginia 



A HAND BOOK 
OF VIRGINIA 



SEVENTH EDITION 1919 



f/C 



Published by the Departmenf , . 
of Agriculture and Immigratioii 
of the State of Virginia -:- -:- 




GEO. W. KOINER, Commissioner 

RICHMOND 



RICHMOND: 

DAVIS BOTTOM, SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC PRINTING 
1919 






VIRGINIA 

Department of Agriculture and 
Immigration 



GEORGE W. KOINER, Commissioner. 



STATE BOARD OP AGRICULTURE AND IMMIGRATION. 



MEMBERS 


DISTRICT 


P. O. ADDRESS 


A. J. McMATH ... 


First Congressional District 


Onley 


FRANK LINDSAY . . 


Second Congressional District . . 


Portsmouth 


J. S. TAYLOR 


Tliird Ciongressional District 


Beach 


R. M. WILLIAMS . . . 


Fourth Congressional District . . 


Crewe 


BERKLEY D. ADAMS. 


Fifth Congressional District . . 


Red Oak 


R. H. ANGELL .... 


Sixth Congressional District 


Roanoke 


T. W. ALLEN 


Seventh Congressional District 


Mt. Jackson 


ROBERT H. GRAY . . 


Eighth Congressional District . . 


Leesburg 


R. W. DICKINSON . . 


Ninth Congressional District 


Castlewood 


W. W SPROUL . . 


Tenth Congressional District 


Middlebrook 


J. D. EGGLESTON . . 


President V. P. I. iex-officio) . 


Blacksburg 



OFE'ICERS OP THE BOARD. 

President, BERKLEY D. ADAMS, Red Oak, Va. 
Secretary, W W. SPROUL, Middlebrook, Va. 



9. •t i». 

JUN 2 1919 



HAND BOOK OF VIRGINIA 



FOREWORD 

VTEGINIA gives the right hand of pre-eminence to no State 
in the Union for equable temperature, goodness of soil, va- 
riety of staples, and capability of growing whatever else is 
produced in any part of the Temperate Zone. Intelligent 
farming has utilized these natural conditions during the past de- 
cade with results unprecedented in the history of the State, The 
concurrent causes explaining this development are reflected in di- 
versification of crops, the adoption of scientific methods in im- 
provement and cultivation of the soil and the use of modern labor- 
saving machinery, in the growing of more forage and grass crops 
and the breeding of better live stock, in the formation and man- 
agement of dairy herds, in the large increase in orchards, and in 
great development in trucking fields. The value of the products 
from the land increased from $230,000,000 in 1900 to $592,500,000 
in 1917. 

But the State's story of progress is not reflected alone in her 
plantations. Under the favored conditions of a marvelous water 
power, excellent transportation facilities by rail and water, ren- 
dering her accessible to the great markets of the world, inexhaust- 
ible beds of coal and iron, and great varietjT^ of forest products. 
Virginia has achieved splendid success alike in other industrial 
activities. The value of her manufactories increased from $108,- 
600,000 in 1900 to $400,000,000 in 1917. In this State are now in 
successful operation, the largest locomotive plant in the country, 
the largest ship building plant, the largest trunk factory, the 
largest up-to-date cotton textile mills, and the largest bright-leaf 
tobacco market in the world, — in fact, m.anufacturing activities 
located throughout the State on various railroads and navigable 
streams cover almost every line of manufactured product. 

Opportunities offered the homeseeker and investor in this State, 
briefly outlined in the foregoing •'^neVSl stfttennents and fully dis- 
cussed in succeeding pages, are 'further " enhanced hj the hospi- 
tality of a people which has been their dominant characteristic for 



Hand Booh of Virginia 



centuries. The newcomer who settles within the borders of the Old 
Dominion will find a cordial welcome. 

The State otfers expert advice and practical assistance to pros- 
pective settlers. Parties purchasing farm land in Virginia are 
earnestly requested to send their names and permanent address to 
the Department of Agriculture for the bulletins issued monthly 
discussing practical farm subjects and publishing analyses of fer- 
tilizer and agricultural seeds. 

GEORGE W. KOINER, 

Commissioner. 



Virginia's Favorable Location 



VIEGINIA lies on the eastern coast of the United States, 
midway beween Maine and Florida, in latitude 36° 31' to 
39° 27' north and longitude 75° 13' to 83° 37' west, and 
is the most southern of the Middle Atlantic group of States. 

On the south it adjoins North Carolina for 326 miles and 
Tennessee for 114 miles, making the line of the State from the 
Atlantic west 440 miles; on the west and northwest it adjoins Ken- 
tucky for 115 miles and West Virginia, by a very irregular line, 
for 450 miles; Maryland is northwest and north, separated from 
Virginia by the Potomac river and Chesapeake bay for 205 miles 
and by a line of twenty-five miles across the Eastern Shore. The 
greatest width of the State from north to south is 192 miles. 

The land surface of Virginia is about 40,125 square miles and 
the water surface 2,325 square miles. The topography is diversi- 
fied. Along the coast the land is low and comparatively level, but 
as the head of tidewater in the various streams is approached it 
becomes gradually rolling. This feature increases noticeably on 
entering that portion of the region lying between the head of tide 
and the foothills of the Blue Ridge. In the Blue Ridge and 
AUeghanies the elevations are largely increased, and beyond the 
altitude varies from 1,000 to 3,000 feet. The following table shows 
the distribution of altitudes within the State: 

Areas in Virginia at Different Altitudes. 

Feet. Square Miles. 

to 100 9,700 

100 to 500 10,500 

500 to 1,000 5,950 

1,000 to 1,500 4,700' 

2,000 to 3,000 6,800 

3,000 to 4,000 600 



Climate 



MAN is so dependent in all the essentials of his existence 
upon the climatic conditions of the country he inhabits 
that a Imowledge of the phenomena of climate^ is of the 
utmost importance. Virginia, as a whole, lies in the re- 
gion of middle latitudes, hence the climate is one of "means" be- 
tween the extremes of heat and cold incident to States south and 
north of it. 

Climatic Characteristics. 

In the Tidewater counties, where the elevation above the sea 
is small and the surface quite level the daily range of the tempera- 
ture is slight, this condition being most marked along the imme- 
diate coast, seasonal and annual temperature averages ranging be- 
tween very moderate limits. Throughout Middle Virginia, the 
climate is characterized by an increase in the variability and range 
of temperature. This is true in a moderate degree of the eastern 
tier of counties, which is about 100 miles west of the Atlantic, and 
the condition is accentuated westward over the rolling lands, with 
their greater elevation and more decided contours, until the western 
line of the section is reached. Local control in the Piedmont coun- 
ties then becomes more sharply defined owing to the distance from 
the Atlantic (about 250 miles) and the rolling and mountainous 
character of the country. The extremes of temperature in sum- 
mer and winter are greater, radiation proceeds more freely on ac- 
count of the greater frequency of clear skies, and frosts occur 
later in the spring and earlier in the fall than in the Tidewater 
counties. Throughout the Great Valley elevation and topography 
produce marked effects. A vertical circulation of the air is car- 
ried on; a relatively clear atmosphere favors isolation and strong 
air currents move up the mountain sides during the day. At night 
cool, descending currents flow from the mountain crests into the 
valleys, displacing the warm air thus reducing the temperature of 
the lower levels decidedly. The warm air displaced rises to ihe 
mountain tops, where the temperature becomes higher than it is 
in the valleys below. These inversions of temperature form an 
important feature of the climate of the region, and their influence 
in delaying frost formation on the higher slopes of the mountains 
is recognized by agriculturists and taken into account by them in 
their work, especially in the location of orchards, gardens, etc. 
The climate of Southwest Virginia is variable. Marked differ- 



,1<«ft«i^!S*««T|'s»*«i»*'i^»f%»»?W«PW!S%J«'»' 




Hand Booh of Virginia 



9 



ences in temperature and precipitation are not only noted between 
the western and mountain portions of the area, but the range in 
weather, conditions is also considerable in different sections of the 
same counties, owing to the physical characteristics of the terri- 
tory. The temperature conditions are, however, conducive to health, 
periods of uncomfortably warm weather being infrequent and short 
in the lower altitudes, while in the mountains the summer tem- 
peratures are delightful. Occasionally cold waves pass over 
this district, but the temperatures are usually moderate during 
the winter months. In the western portion of the area frosts sel- 
dom occur in the spring after May 1, or before October 10th in 
the fall. The season of growth is also long in the more elevated 
portions of the section. 

The following table shows the monthly and annual normal 
temperatures for the Tidewater, Middle, Piedmont and Shenan- 
doah Valley counties: 

Monthly and Annual Mean Temferatwres. 





Jan.! 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May 


June 


July 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov 


Dec. 


'idewafff 

Middle Counties. . . 
Piedmo"! fountlfs. 
Shenandoal) Vailey. 


40.0 
37 8 
35.6 
33 3 


40.1 
35.2 
34.9 
33.6 


47 5 
48.1 
46.3 
43.3 


55.4 
55.6 
54.0 
52.4 


65.7 
66.6 
64.4 
62.5 


73.8 
73 9 
71.4 
69 8 


68.2 
78.4 
75.1 
73.4 


78.2 
76.6 
73.8 

72.2 


71.3 
70.2 
68.3 
65.6 


60.5 

58.9 

'56.0 

54.2 


50.5 
47.8 
46.2 
43.3 


42.4 
38 3 
55.3 
37.7 



An- 
nual 

58.5 
57.3 
55.3 
53.2 



Considering all the stations in the district of Southwest Vir- 
ginia that have records of sufficient length to be of value, the 
average temperature of the j^ear is nearly fifty-four degTees, 



Mon 


tUy 


and 


Annual 


Mean Temperatures for the State. 






Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May 


June 


July 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


An- 
nual 


1913 
191+ 
1015 
191fi 
1917 


45.0 
39 4 
36.4 
42.0 
38.2 


38.3 
32.8 
40 6 
37.1 
35.9 


49.8 
40.6 
38.5 
41.6 
44.9 


55 5 
54.3 
58.0 
53.4 
55.1 


64.4 
65.6 
63.6 
66.8 
59.1 


71.5 
74.0 
69 4 
69.0 
70.8 


76.3 
74.3 
74.6 
75 3 
'74.9 


73.3 
75.0 
73.3 
74.3 
73.4 


68.1 
65.6 
69.9 
66.2 
64.1 


58.1 
59.5 
59 3 
57.5 
51.9 


48.2 
45.7 
47.4 
47.2 
43.3 


40.7 
34.3 
35.8 
36.8 
28.0 


57.2 
55.0 
55.6 
55.5 
55.3 



Precipitation. 

Precipitation is abundant and well distributed throughout the 
year. Drv and wet periods of long duration are of rare occurrence. 
May to August, inclusive, are the months of heaviest rainfall, a 
fact of greatest importance to the agricultural interests, the average 
total amount for this four months period being: Coastal Plain, 



Hand Booh of Virginia 



11 



17.36 inches, Middle Virginia, 17.80 inches and Shenandoah Valley, 
15.81 inches. Beginning with September the average decreases* 
nearly an inch and a half, and thereafter it falls off by small 
amounts each month until Januar}^, inclusive, when it reaches a 
minimum, the average total amount for this five months period 
being: Coastal Plain 14.06 inches; Middle Virginia, 15.78 inches, 
and Shenandoah Valley, 13.95 inches. It then begins to increase 
slowly to the period of heaviest rainfall — May to August. The 
annual precipitation for Southwest Virginia averages slightly more 
than 41 inches, the annual averages for the several stations ranging 
from about 34 inches to 62 inches, the months of heaviest rain- 
fall corresponding to the above divisions. 

The amount of snow that falls each season in the climatic divi- 
sions varies from an average of 12 inches in the Coastal Plain 
counties, to 15 inches in Middle Virginia and to 26 inches in the 
Shenandoah Valley and SoutliAvest Virginia. Reduced to its water 
equivalent by the usual method, the average snowfall each season 
represents from one-seventeenth to one-thirty- fourth of the annual 
precipitation. 



Monthly and Annual Precipitation for the State. 





Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May 


June 


July 


Axxg. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


An- 
nual 


1913 


3.15 


1.98 


4.92 


3.12 


5.48 


3.87 


4.31 3.81 


3.25 


3.74 


2 23 


2.47 


42.75 


1914 


3.23 


3.21 


3.16 


2 61 


1.64 


2.68 


4 27 3.24 


1.65 


3.06 


2.53 


5.38 


37.17 


1915 


5.24 


3.41 


1.26 


1.42 


3.30 


4 84 


3.90 5.88 


2.51 


3.75 


1.51 


2 96 


39.72 


1916 


1 9P 


3.58 


2.34 


2.61 


3.81 


6.45 


5.71 3.48 


2 80 


2 25 


1 54 


2.93 


39.36 


1917 


3.05 


3.48 


6.30 


2.97 


3.01 


4.11 


6.10 2.90 


3.12 


3.90 


0.58 


1.76 


40.82 




Virginia Farm Scene 



Commercial Facilities 



IN respect to ready access to markets for the products of her 
soil, of her foundries and factories, and of her inexhaustible 
beds of coal and iron, as well as in respect to facility of pur- 
chase from the markets of the world without, Virginia is 
most favorably circumstanced. Seven trunk lines of railroads pene- 
trate and intersect the State. These, with their numerous branch 
lines and their connections with other roads, place every portion 
of the State in communication with every principal port and city 
in the country. The lines of steamboats that ply the navigable 
streams of eastern Virginia afford commercial communication for 
large sections of the State with the markets of this country and 
Europe. 

At Norfolk and Newport News are ports that maintain com- 
munications with the European markets by means of seagoing 
steamers and vessels, while from these ports also is kept up an 
extensive commerce along the Atlantic seaboard. The Annual Re- 
port for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1918, gives the foreign 
commerce of these two ports at 17,137,735 tons, valued at $300,- 
957,741. 

The harbor of Hampton Roads, upon which these ports sit 
like crowned queens of commerce, is the largest, deepest and safest 
upon the whole Atlantic Coast. Upon its bosom the combined 
navies and commercial marine of the world can ride in safety and 
with ample berth. As has been before stated, these ports are 
nearer than is New York to the great centers of population and 
areas of production of the west and northwest. Chicago is nearer 
by fifty miles in a direct line to Norfolk than it is to New York. 
The harbor of the southern coast of England, between the Isle 
of Wight and the mainland, has been named from its safety the 
"King's Chamber." Hampton Roads, sheltered by the Virginia 
capes from the storms of the Atlantic, may well be regarded as our 
safety chamber. 

Natural Wonders. 

Many of the most marvelous natural wonders of the world are 
found in Virginia. The most widely known of these is the Natural 
Bridge, in Rockbridge county, fourteen miles from Lexington. It 
is a stupendous bridge of rock, and from it the county (Rockbridge) 
received its name. It is 215 feet and six inches from the creek 
below to the top of the span of the arch above. 



Hand Booh of Virginia 13 



III the limestone section of the State there are numerous caves. 
The most noted of these are the Lura}'' Caverns in Page county 
and Weyer's Cave in Augusta county. There are in both of these 
numerous halls, chambers and grottoes, brilliant with stalactites 
and stalagmites, and adorned with other forms curiously wrought 
by the sIoav dripping water through the centuries. 

Crab Tree Falls, near the summit of the Blue Ridge, in Nelson 
county, are formed by a branch of Tye river. They consist of three 
falls, the longest of these leaps of the stream being 500 feet. This 
freak of nature, and the unsurpassed mountain scenery of the sur- 
rounding region, attract many tourists. The Balcony Falls, im- 
mediately where Rockbridge, Amherst and Bedford counties cor- 
ner, the passage Avhere the James river cuts its way through the 
Blue Ridge, presents a scene of grandeur little, if any, inferior 
to the passage of the Potomac at Harper's Ferry through the same 
range of mountains. 

Mountain Lake, in Giles county, is a beautiful body of deep 
water, some 3,500 feet above the sea level. The water is so trans- 
parent that the bottom can be seen in every part. Pleasure boats 
sailing upon it pass above the trunks and tops of large trees that 
are plainly seen. This would indicate that the lake is not of very 
great antiquity. Mountain Lake is a great summer resort. 

The Dismal Swamp may properly be accounted a natural won- 
der. It is an extensive region lying mostly in Virginia, but partly 
in North Carolina, and covered with dense forests of cypress, 
juniper, cedar, and gum. For many years, this was a remote, weird 
region, inhabited by wild animals, but many acres have been re- 
claimed and devoted to agriculture with good results. The wood- 
man's axe is hewing its trees that are of great value for the manu- 
facture of buckets, tubs and other varieties of woodenware, and for 
shingles, staves and ship timber. In the middle of this swamp 
is beautiful Lake Drummond, a body of fresh water nearly cir- 
cular in form, and over fifteen miles in circumference, lying en- 
tirely in Virginia, being the largest lake in the State. It is noted 
for the purity of its amber-colored water, the hue being derived 
from the roots of the cypress and juniper. 

Natural Tunnel, on the Virginia and Southwestern Railroad, 
in Scott county, is a freak of nature that has amazed thousands 
of tourists, in the early days the buffaloes found their ways imder 
the mountain through this tunnel; in their trail came the early 
Indians, and behind them Daniel Boone who blazed the way for 
civilization; behind Boone and the early settlers, the progenitors 
of the present native mountain stock, came the steel rail and the 
monster locomotive. 



. Schools 



IT is pretty well knoAvii that Virginia was the first permanent 
English settlement in America; that she was the first colony 
to have a legislative assembly; but it is not as well known 

as it should be that she was the first colony to plan for an 
institution of learning. And the people of Virginia are today 
manifesting great interest in the movement for better schools. Asso- 
ciations for the improvement of the schools have been formed in 
every section of the State, and educators are constantly delivering 
addresses to interested audiences on the value of education and the 
importance of increasing the efficiency of our public school system. 

The demand is going up from every section for better school- 
houses, better trained teachers, and longer school terms. In addi- 
tion to the primarj^ and grammar schools, all the cities and towns, 
and many of the rural districts, have excellent public high schools. 
During the past few years a standard of requirements for high 
schools has been prepared and put into operation in all of the State 
high schools. A course of stud}'' for primary and grammar grades 
has also been prepared and is largely used in the State. 

Normal Traming Departments. 

The legislature appropriates annually for the establishment 
of normal training departments in the selected high schools of the 
State. These departments Avill aid very materially in providing 
a superior class of teachers for rural schools. 

Agricultural High Schools. 

The legislature of 1908 set aside the sum of $20,000 for the 
purpose of establishing departments of agriculture, manual train- 
ing and domestic economy in at least one high school in each of 
the ten congressional districts. 

School Libraries. 

Legislation has made liberal provision for the establishment of 
both permanent and traveling school librai-ies. Upon application 
these libraries are sent to schools and community clubs. The de- 
mand from the rural sections all over the State evinces an interest 
on the part of the people for good literature. 



16 Department of Agriculture 

Institutes of Higher Learning. 

The reputation of Virginia's institutions of learning has at- 
tracted to her colleges and universities students from almost every 
State in the Union. There are four splendid normal schools, main- 
tained by State aid, for the preparation of women for the work of 
teaching in the public schools, located as follows : Farmville, Harri- 
sonburg, Fredericksburg and Eadford. 

The Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Poly- 
technic Institute, located at Blacksburg, and the University of Vir- 
ginia, at Charlottesville, founded by Thomas Jefferson, are among 
the foremost institutions in the country. The Virginia Military 
Institute, Lexington, also a State institution, affords excellent in- 
struction in military science, being second only to the United States 
Military Academy, at West Point. The College of William and 
Mary, founded iii 1693, at Williamsburg, the colonial capital, and 
with the exception of Harvard College, the oldest in the United 
States, is in active operation. 

. In addition to these State institutions of higher learning, there 
are many excellent private and denominational colleges. Ran- 
dolph-Macon Woman's College at Lynchburg, has an enrollment 
of women from all parts of the United States. Washington and 
Lee LTniversity at Lexington, chartered in 1782 as Liberty Hall, 
and endowed b}^ George Washington, is a private institution of 
high rank, all parts of the country being represented in its stu- 
dent body. 

It will thus be seen that Virginia has a complete system of 
public instruction, extending froui the primary grades to the uni- 
versity and the technical schools, and many private high schools, 
academies and colleges. Industrial training has been introduced 
into the public schools of the cities and towns, and agriculture is 
taught in the rural public schools, as well as in the high schools 
|)reviously mentioned. 

The Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind at Staunton, and 
the Virginia School for Colored Deaf and Blind Children at 
Newport IN'ews are auiong the most efficient of their kind in the 
countr}^ There are also four State hospitals for the care of the 
insane and one for the helpless. 

Virsrinia maintains an efficient system of public schools for col- 
ored children. The Virginia ISTormal and Industrial Institute at 
Petersburg is a State institution exclusively for the colored race, 
and the Hampton IN'ormal and Agi-icultui-al Institute at Hampton 
is for Negro and Indian students. 




s 



Natural Divisions 



THE surface of Virginia shows five natural divisions that 
cross the State from northeast to southv^^est, differing in 
surface, climate, soil, and productions. These divisions from 
east to west are, Tidewater Virginia, Middle Virginia, Pied- 
mont, the Great Valley of Virginia, and Southwest Virginia. 

Tidewater Counties. 

Accomac, Northampton, King George. Westmoreland, North- 
umberland, Richmond, Lancaster. Essex, King and Queen, Middle- 
sex, Mathews, Gloucester, King William, New Kent, James City, 
Charles City, Prince George, Surry, Isle of Wight, Sussex, York, 
Warwick, Princess Anne.. Elizabeth City, Norfolk, Nansemond, 
Southampton, and Greensville. 

Middle Virginia. 

Alexandria, Faii-fax, Prince William, Stafford, Spotsylvania, 
Caroline, Louisa, Fluvanna. Goochland, Hanover. Llenrico, Powha- 
tan, Buckingham, Cumberland, Chesterfield, Amelia, Appomattox, 
Nottoway, Dinwiddle, Campbell, Prince Edward, Charlotte, Lun- 
enburg, Brunswick, Mecklenburg, Halifax, and Pittsylvania. 

Piedmont Virginia. 

Loudoun, Fauquier, CulpejDer, Madison, Greene, Orange, Albe- 
marle, Nelson, Amherst, Bedford, Franklin, Patrick, Henry, and 
Eappahannock. 

The Valley. 

Frederick, Clarke, Warren, Shenandoah, Page, Rockingham, 
Augusta, Rockbridge, Botetourt, Roanoke. 

Appalachia or Southwest Virginia. 

Highland, Bath, Alleghany, Craig, Montgomery, Floyd, Car- 
roll, Grayson, Pulaski,- Wythe, Giles. Bland, Smyth, Tazewell, 
Washington, Russell, Scott, Buchanan, Wise, Lee, and Dickenson. 

Tidewater Virginia. 

Tidewater Virginia is esteemed by its residents — and by many 
of its non-residents — as the garden spot, not only of Virginia, but 
of the entire country as well. It comprises that section of the 



Hand Booh of Virginia 19 

State lying mainlj^ east of a line drawn north a:iJ south through 
her capital city, Eichmond. 

I'.istorically this land appeals to the Nation in reminiscences of 
Capt. John Smith, Pocahontas, and the Cavaliers. Here at James- 
town, in 1607, English civilization was first planted in America. 
Here, also, is the old Colonial Capital, Williamburg, where in 
her House of Burgesses the first faint cry of liberty and equality 
was heard. And here abound associations of those immortals, 
Washington, Jefferson, Henry and others. 

This section is divided by the waters of the Chesapeake Bay 
and the large tidal rivers that flow into that estuary into nine 
principal and a large number of secondary peninsulas. It is main- 
ly an alluvial country, a portion of the tertiary Atlantic tidewater 
plain, and its surface, composed of sands and clays, is thrown into 
low, flat ridges forming the watershed of the peninsulas, succeeded 
b}^ terraces and plains clown to the water's edge, where they meet 
the swamps and salt marshes that always accompany well-devel- 
oped, land-locked, tidal Avaters. This is the clay, marl, and sand 
region, and excepting the marshy or swampy lands that consti- 
tute a small part of the area, there is no unproductive soil. 

The daily range of temperature is less in the Tidewater sec- 
tion than in other portions of the State, water having a great ca- 
pacity for heat, storing it up and liberating it slowlj^ The daily 
annual extremes of temperature are also less than in other sec- 
tions. This results in considerably retarding the date of frost 
formation in the fall in comparison with other sections, while in 
. the spring frosts cease much earlier, thus insuring a longer period 
of crop growth free from the probabilities of damage by frosts. 

The natural resources of this section are unsurpassed. Her 
waters abound with fish, o^^sters, clams and crabs. Upon these 
waters and in her marshes millions of water fowl and wild birds 
feed and have their nesting places. With more than 3,000 square 
miles of salt water bottom, of which 1,000 acres are set aside for 
oyster planting purposes and some 200,000 as a natural reserve, 
we can fairly claim this to be the greatest oyster section in the 
world. 

The lands of Tidewater have productive capabilities without 
a parallel. The light, warm, sandy loam is adapted to produce 
earW and abundant yields of the different crops comprised under 
the general head of "truck""; also berries of all varieties, canta- 
loupes, melons, etc. All of these crops are abundantly grown and 
marketed by rail and water to the large consuming centers of the 
country. Here may be found the best examples of intensive agri- 
culture in the United States. The varied character of the land 
fits it for a wide diversification of crops, staple as well as truck. 



Hand Book of Virginia 21 

Upon the fields of this section may be seen corn, wheat, alfalfa, 
clover and grasses of splendid quality. The peanut crop is a large 
and important industry. Cotton is raised to some extent in South- 
ampton, Nansemond and adjoining counties. 

From her forests millions of feet of lumber are cut and mar- 
keted annually. Millions are still standing awaiting the stroke of 
the woodman's axe. 

Winter and summer resorts of both health and pleasure are 
scattered along her surf-bound shores, where thousands of pros- 
perous people throng every season for health, pleasure and profit. 

"The Eastern Shore." 

The section embraced in this term includes two counties of the 
Tidewater division — Accomac and Northampton — situated across 
the Chesapeake bay from the mainland with the Atlantic Ocean 
on the east, forming a peninsula. For production of trucks and 
marine products it is unexcelled. The surface is smooth, even and 
almost level. The light soils are easily tilled, mostly "Norfolk 
loam." with some few acres of heavier lands upon which the staple 
crops are raised. These soils respond readily to fertilizers, mature 
early and bring a generous reward to the industries. The splendid 
transportation afforded by the Pennsylvania Railroad (New York, 
Philadelphia and Norfolk Railroad) bring this section into close 
communion with the great consuming markets. Fine modern 
steamers give double service from Cape Charles to Norfolk and 
Old Point, besides car floats many times each day. Organized busi- 
ness methods are practiced by the farmers of this section whose 
progressiveness is reflected in a recent report of the Eastern Shore 
Truckers' Exchange, as given below: 

Eastern Shore of Virginia Produce Exchange — Packages of 

Produce. 

Barrels of Irish potatoes 1,905,666 

Barrels of sweet potatoes 722,701 

Onions 60,706 

Cabbage 63,733 

Strawberries 67,796 

Miscellaneous 31,548 

Number of packages shipped 2,852,150 



22 Department of Agriculture 

Gross sales of produce, f. o. b $ 9,418,702.96 

Gross sales of produce consigned 1,178,217.11 

Total gross sales of produce $10,596,920.07 

Purchased for members — seed $ 58,588.45 

Purchased for members — covers.... 161,866.37 

Purchased for members — crates 15,060.76 

Purchased for members — bags 135 . 66 

Total purchased for members 235,651.24 

Gross 1917 $10,832,571.31 

Gross 1916 6,971,786.45 

Increase 1917 $ 3,860,784. 86 

Packages of produce in above report represent about 60 per 
cent, of production on the Eastern Shore. 

Middle Virginia. 

This section is a great, moderately undulating plain, from 25 
to 100 miles wide, rising to the northwest from an elevation of 
150 feet above tide at the rock rim of its eastern margin, to from 
300 to 500 along its northwestern. The principal streams, as a 
rule, cross it at right angles; so it is a succession of ridges and 
valleys running southeast and northwest, the valleys often narrow 
and deep, but the ridges generally not very prominent. 

The middle country extends westward from the "head of the 
tide" to the foot of the low, broken ranges that extend across the 
State southwest from the Potomac, near the northern corner of 
Fairfax, to the North Carolina line, near the southwest corner of 
Pittsylvania, coming to the eastern line of the Appalachain system 
that may with propriety be called the Atlantic coast range. The 
climate is characterized by an increase in the variability and range 
of temperature, in a moderate degree, over that of Tidewater. The 
change in temperature in summer and winter is greater. 

Middle Virgmia is considered one of the finest general farming 
sections in the State. In the eastern tier the soil is a sandy loam; 
westAvard its character changes to a clay loam, with areas of stiff 
clay in the uplands and rich alluvial soils in the bottom lands of 
the different rivers. Farm acreage imder cultivation is mostly 
seeded to corn, wheat, oats, tobacco and grasses. Market gardens 
of truck and berries are profitable in the vicinities of the cities, 
and good family orchards of apples and peaches obtain. 



Hand Booh of Virginia 23 

This section is also considered by experts to be especially 
adapted to dairying and hog raising, due to the long grazing sea- 
son, the great variety of forage crops, accessibility to markets, and 
excellent transportation facilities. Cows can frequently be grazed 
from the first of April until the last of ISTovember. 

The entire area is well wooded. Farm forests and cultivated 
fields checker the surface, and a large portion of these farm wood 
lots are w^ell wooded with merchantable trees. The natural water 
power and factory sites are unsurpassed. Splendid schools and 
churches, road building and improved methods of farming are 
making this one of the greatest sections of the State. No other 
portion of the State has shown more rapid progress than Middle 
Virginia in the last few years. 

"J'Ae Bellioood FarmP 

As an illustration of the productiveness of the soils of Middle 
Virginia, under intelligent management, the Bellwood Farm, in 
Chesterfield county, has won a national reputation in the past 
twenty-five years, and is a striking refutation of the term "worn- 
out soils" applied by the uninformed to this section of the Old 
Dominion. 

The "One-Farm Exhibit" from the Bellwood Farm installed 
in the Agricultural Museum of Virginia Products, at Eichmond, is 
a beautiful illustration of the versatility and high state of fertility 
of which these soils are capable-. 

At the Panama-Pacific International Exposition this farm was 
awarded the following premiums : 

Collection of Exhibits — Medal of Honor — Highest Possible Award. 
Alfalfa Hay — Medal of Honor — Highest Possible Award. 

Best 10 acres Corn Gold Medal 

Varieties of Corn (lold Medal 

Varieties of Hay Cold Medal 

Varieties of Peanuts (lold Medal 

Wheat Sih er Medal 

Cow Peas '^i ] rer Medal 

Soy Beans Silver Medal 

Grasses Si 1 ver Medal 

Sorghums Silver Medal 

Cow Pea Hav Silver Medal 






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Hand Booh of Virginia 25 

National Corn Show, Dallas, Texas. 

Bale of Alfalfa Hav First Prize 

Sheaf of Alfalfa .". First Prize 

Eesiilts meriting the above competitive awards and paying 
good interest on the investment are obtained from land of which 
Virginia has thousands of acres similar in character of soil. 

Piedmont Virginia. 

This section is the long belt of country stretching for 244: 
miles from the banks of the Potomac and the Maryland line south- 
west, along the eastern base of the Blue Ridge mountains, and be- 
tween them and Middle Virginia to the banks of the Dan at the 
North Carolina line. It varies in width from 20 to 30 miles, aver- 
aging about 25, and its approximate area is 6,680 square miles, 

This Piedmont country is the fifth step of the great stairway 
ascending to the west. Its eastern edge along Middle Virginia is 
from 300 to 500 feet above the sea; then come the broken ranges 
of the coast mountains rising as detached or connected knobs in 
lines or groups from 100 to 600 feet higher. These are succeeded 
" by numberless valleys of all imaginable forms — some long, straight 
^and wide, others narrow and widening, others again oval and 
almost enclosed, locally known as "coves," that extend across to 
and far into the Blue Eidge, the spurs of which often reach out 
southwardly for miles, ramifjdng in all directions. Portions of the 
Piedmont form widel}^ extended plains. The land west of the 
coast ranges is generally from 300 to 500 feet above the sea, and 
rises to the west until, at the foot of the Blue Eiclge, it attains an 
elevation of from 600 to 1,200 feet. 

Numerous streams have their origin in the heads of the gorges 
on the Blue Ridge, and most of them flow across the Piedmont to 
the southeast, united and forming some of the well known rivers 
that cross Middle and even Tidewater Virginia, like the Roanoke 
or Staunton and the James. Some of these rivers break through 
the Blue Ridge from the Valley, making water gaps in that formid- 
able mountain barrier, as the Potomac, the James and the Roanoke; 
but they all follow the rule above given in their way across this 
section. This is a gennine "Piedmont" country, surpassing in 
beauty of scenery and choice of prospect, so that it has always 
been a favorite section with men of refinement in which to fix 
their homes. 

While the daily and monthly range of temperature in the Pied- 
mont district is greater than nearer the coast, and slightly greater 



Hand Book of Virginia 27 



than in the counties of Middle Virginia, being due to the effect 
of elevation, rolling contours and a greater distance from Tide- 
water, these variations are not so great, except at rare intervals, 
as to disturb the favorable weather conditions for general farm- 
ing. Precipitation is usually abundant and well distributed 
throughout the year, and long dry or wet periods are of rare oc- 
currence. The climate in summer is tempered by the mountain 
breezes, and in winter it enjoys the protection of the Blue Eidge 
from the blizzards of the north and west. Along the Blue Ridge 
there is a belt of country from 1,000 to 2,500 feet above the sea 
level in which the humidity is exceedingly small, less than in any 
section east of the Rocky mountains, and the number of bright, 
sunny days is very large. The region has but little dew at night, 
owing to its Ioav humidit,y, and is very beneficial to people of weak 
lungs. This section is shown by government statistics to be the 
most healthful belt in the United States. One of the arguments 
Thomas Jefferson used for locating the University of Virginia 
in this section was the pre-eminent healthfulness of the climate. 

The soil is of great natural fertility and is generally under- 
laid with red clay, which carries enough free lime and potash for 
ordinary agricultural use. The mineral wealth of this section has 
been only partly developed. There are deposits of iron, manganese, 
copper, zinc, phosphate, potter's clay, marble and soapstone. The 
water power of this section is of great value, but is still undevel- 
oped. All of the rivers that flow from the Blue Ridge are fed by 
never-failing streams, and their fall is rapid. There are man}^ 
flourishing manufactoiies. The largest and most successful boot 
and shoe factories in the United States, with one exception, are 
located in Lynchburg, and the best woolen mills — -"all wool and a 
yard wide" — are situated at Charlottesville, 

The soil and climate of this section are especially adapted to 
fruit growing. Large and successful commercial orchards are 
found here. The finest flavored apples in the world are grown. 
Experts the world over recognize this fact. It is not simply that 
the Albemarle Pippin was Queen Victoria's favorite of all apples 
which has made it the most famous apple in the world. The high 
quality which gained the favor of the good queen has kept it in 
the front ranks beyond all competitors. Peaches, pears, plums, 
grapes, and all small fruits, find here favorable conditions of soil 
and climate and can be produced profitably. 

The pasture fields of this section afford fine grazing for cattle 
and sheep. Bee culture in this section finds conditions that are no 
better in the country. There is good opportunity for enlargement 
of this industrv in Piedmont ViriErinia. 




CO 



Rand Booh of Virginia 29 



The Great Valley. 

Ljdng between the Blue Kidge and the Alleghany mountains 
is the Great Valley, a long tract of rolling country averaging 
from 20 to 30 miles wide, higher along the western side next to 
the Alleghany ridges than on the eastern. It is a part of the great 
Appalachian Valley, stretching from Canada to Alabama. At 
Harper's Ferry on the Potomac, the Valley proper is less than 
300 feet above tide, but it gradually rises southwestwurd until it 
i-eaches the height of 1,700 feet in vSouthwest Virginia. 

Washington, in his letter to Sir John Sinclair, written in 1796, 
said of this beautiful country: "In soil, climate, and production, 
it will be considereci, if not so already, the garden-spot of Amer- 
ica." The natural blue-grassland, the home of the stock raiser and 
dairyman; the heavy clay land, fat in fertilizing ingredients and 
always repaying the labor spent in fine crops of corn and wheat; 
the splenclid soil for fruit growing; and accessibility to the large 
markets — all combine to make this section famous. The Valley 
is said by experts from the Agricultural Department in Washing- 
ton to contain a large area of apple land the equal of any in the 
world. Many parts of tiie Valley, especially Augusta and Fred- 
erick counties, are becoming vast orchards. 

Mineral deposits are iron, manganese, copper, coal, lead, ore, 
marble, granite and limestone, and the lumber resources are very 
extensive. 

Appalachia or Southwest Virginia. 

Just west of the great Valley of Virginia lies a mountainous 
section of the country, traversed its whole length by the Appala- 
chian system of mountains, known as Appalachia or Southwest 
Virginia. In altitude it varies from 1,000 to 3,000 feet above the 
sea level and presents a great variety of soils. Appalachia is an 
abundantly watered region and feAv stockmen or farmers ever think 
of fencing in a field that has not one or more springs or branches. 
This irregular belt of country is 260 miles long. 

The resources of this region in point of variety and value can 
hardly be surpassed by those of any area of like size in the United 
States. Here are found vast beds of coal, including far-famed 
Pocahontas, and large and valuable deposits of iron ore. zinc, lead, 
copper, salt, gypsum, and many other ores of minor importance, 
all under more or less active development. Between these store- 
houses of mineral v\'ealth run a number of smiling valleys, many 
of them long, some of them comparatively narrow, but of sur- 
passing fertility and of special adaptability to bluegrass. Thou- 



Hand Book of Virginia 



31 



sands of cattle are now grazing on grass-clad hills and mountains 
which have never been plowed or cultivated, but have clothed 
themselves with natural blue-grass as fast as the timber was re- 
moved. This is especially true where limestone boulders crop out 
on the surface. This section has the unique distinction of being 
the only section in the United States which ships export cattle 
direct from the blue grass pasture fields to foreign ports. The 





i.i*"»^V 'At 



^>Mm^.^k3i 




Alfalfa Hay on a Modern Virginia Farm 

Norfolk and Western, which traverses this section, reports 3,750 
carloads of export cattle and steers shipped during twelve months ; 
spring lambs and sheep, 982 carloads; horses and mules, 350 car- 
loads, and hogs 4,885.337 pounds. 

The growing of cabbage and late potatoes has lately become 
a large and prosperous industry in this section of Virginia. One 
station shipped 1,312 carloads in one year. Many carloads of 
cabbage are shipped to Cuba. 

Seldom is found such pleasant blending of agricultural wealth 
and untold mineral deposits, with unlimited water power, awaiting 
the command of genius and capital to utilize it to commercial ad- 
vantage. 



Rivers and Water Supply 



THE princi])al Avatershed of the State is formed by the Bine 
Ridge of the Appalachian mountains and extends from 
Harper's Ferry in a southwesterly direction across the 
State. West of and parallel to this range, and containing 
still higher summits are the Shenandoah mountains, while still 
farther west are the Alleghanies. 

The Blue Ridge is pierced near the northern border of the 
State by the Potomac river at Harper's Ferry, and within the State 
by James river, a,t Balcony Falls, near Glasgow, and by the- Roa- 
noke river near Stewartsville. The Alleghany mountains are 
pierced by New river near the w^estern border of the Stcte at the 
Narrows. 

Five large and navigable rivers, with their affluent and tribu- 
taries, drain five-sixths of the State. These all empty into the 
Atlantic, the Potomac, Rappahannock, York, and James through 
the Chesapeake bay, and the Roanoke or Staunton through Albe- 
marle sound. They are all navigable to the head of Tidewater by 
large steamboats and sailing vessels. Besides these there are other 
long and copious streams or rivers, the Shenandoah, flowing 
through the Valley, and New river and Clinch in Southwest Vir- 
ginia. These rivers are all supplied by multitudinous streams, 
rivulets and creeks, many of these long and of sufficient size to en- 
title them to the name of rivers. These affluents are but a few 
of the hundreds of streams in every part of the State that fall 
below the dimensions of rivers, but which, in conjunction with the 
bolder streams, irrigate the country and furnish inexhaustible water 
power. Never-failing springs of pure, sparkling water abound 
in every section, many of them possessing medicinal properties 
of high order. Rainfall within the State is fairly well distrib- 
uted throughout the year. 

Of the four navigable rivers of Virginia, that are tidal to the 
ocean, three of them, the Potomac, Rappahannock and James, take 
their rise in the mountain region and wind through landscapes 
of surpassing loveliness to deliver their waters in that bay which, 
like an inland sea, washes her eastern front. The York, a wide, 
straight stream, navigable for the largest vessels, is less than forty 
miles in length, and is rather an estuary, or arm of the bay, than 
a river. 

The Chesapeake bay is not only the most picturesque and 
beautiful sheet of water upon the globe, but it has no equal for 
tk« abuMdanc© and variety «f the marine food Avhich it supplies. 



34 Department of AgHculture 



It is 200 miles long, with an average width of 15 miles. It has the 
most abundant oyster beds in the world, and its Lynnhaven bay 
oyster is confessedly the largest and most delicious of this bivalve 
to be found in any water. It supplies, in inexhaustible quanti- 
ties, every fish known to the southern waters, with the exception 
of the pompano, which is peculiar to the Gulf of Mexico. Turtles, 
crabs, terrapins, lobsters and clams abound, while birds by tens 
of thousands crowd its waters and the inlets and marshes that mark 
its borders — swans, geese, ducks, and sora. The canvas-back ducks, 
that feed on the wild celery and grasses that fringe its banks, pos- 
sess a game flavor that is coveted by the epicure. 

From the above statements it can easily be believed that Vir- 
ginia is one of the m.ost abundantly watered countries upon the 
face of the earth. There can scarcely be found a square mile on 
which there is not either a running stream or a bold spring. 

Water Power. 

In this busy age when every accessory of human industry is 
eagerly utilized, it may not be amiss to call more particular atten- 
tion to the marvelous supply of water power which the rivers and 
streams of the State afford. 

Even in Tidewater, the flattest part of the State, the numerous 
smaller rivers and creeks have sufficient fall to furnish ample water 
power for grist mills, and, of course, the same power could be 
used for other purposes. Where Tidewater joins Middle Yirginia 
there is a rocky ledge, which rises up quite abruptly and over which 
all streams have to pour to reach the ocean. In pouring over that 
ledge rapids are formed which give magnificent water power. This 
water power is especially fine just above Alexandria on the Poto- 
mac; at Fredericksburg on the Rappahannock; at Richmond on 
the James; and at Petersburg on the Appomattox. Indeed, as 
Commodore M. F. Maury says, "The James river and its tribu- 
taries alone afford water power enough to line their banks from 
Covington and Lexington, with a single row of factories, all the 
way to Richmond." New river, in the western part of the State, 
also furnishes magnificent water power. In fact, all through the 
State an abundance of the finest water power is awaiting develop- 
ment. A very small portion of this power is at present developed. 



Summary Statement of the Mineral 
Resources of Virginia 



Prepared hy Dk. Thomas L. Watson, State Geologist. 

VIRGINIA is possessed of an abundance and variety of min- 
eral materials, many of which have been Avorkecl since early 
colonial days, especially coal, iron ores, and brick clays. 

- In 1917, the latest year for which mineral statistics col- 
lected by the State Geological Survey are available, there were 
mined in Virginia 35 mineral materials, many of them on a large 
scale, aggregating in total value about $45,000,000. This repre- 
sents an increased annual valuation due chiefly to higher prices 
ruling under war conditions. It also represents an increased pro- 
duction in many of the materials mined, such as coal, manganese 
and manganiferous ores, pyrite, etc., which are actual war necessi- 
ties and are therefore grouped as war minerals. 

Mining of iron ore in Virginia in 1609 by the Jamestown 
colonists was the first iron ore mined in the United States. The 
commercial deposits of iron ore in Virginia are confined to the 
Piedmont and Appalachian provinces. The production of iron 
ores in Virginia in 1917 amounted to 472,311 long tons, valued at 
$1,182,338. The valuation of the production of pig iron in Vir- 
ginia for the same j^ear is estimated at $7,500,000. 

Virginia has always held an important position as a producer 
of manganese ores, which are derived chiefly from three sections 
of the' State: (1) The eastern Valley counties, extending along 
the foot of the Blue Eiclge from Warren county on the north to 
Smyth county on the southwest, inclusive; (2) many of the coun- 
ties in western Virginia, including Tazewell, Bland, Giles, Craig, 
Bath, Shenandoah, and Frederick; and (3) a group of counties 
in the Piedmont province, of which Campbell is the principal 
producer at the present time. The production of manganese and 
manganiferous ores in Virginia for 1917 will exceed $700,000 in 
valuation. 

Virginia has long held the position of first producer of py- 
rite (iron sulphide used in the manufacture of sulphuric acid) 
among pyrite-producing States in the United States. Commercial 
pyrite occurs in Buckingham, Louisa, Prince William, Stafford, 
and Spotsylvania counties, and mines are opened in each county. 
The pyrite mines of Louisa and Priuce William counties are the 
largest ones in the United States, pyrrhotite, magnetic pyrite, used 
for the same purpose as pyrite, occurs in abundance in Floyd, 
Carroll, and Grayson counties. It is extensively mined at Monarat 



Hand Booh of Virginia 37 

in Carroll county for use in acid making at Pulaski. The value 
of the production of pja-ite and pyrrhotite in Virginia for the year 
1917 was $1,378,043. 

Gold occurs and has been mined in Fauquier, Stafford, Cul- 
peper, Orange, Spotsylvania, Louisa, Fluvanna, Goochland, and 
Buckingham counties. Gold mining in tlie State dates from the 
year 1831, and from 1831 to 1850 the production was reasonably 
steady, the annual value being between $50,000 and $100,000. At 
present the production is small, but considerable activity is now 
being manifested in the mines of this belt, which should yield 
steady and profitable returns if properly managed. 

Copper ores are found in Halifax, Charlotte, Warren, Fau- 
quier, Eappahannock, Madison, Page, Greene, Albemarle, Buck- 
ingham, Floyd, Carroll, and Grayson counties. The principal area 
in Virginia producing copper ores at the present time is the Vif^ 
gilina district which includes parts of Flalifax and Charlotte coun- 
ties. The 1917 production of copper in Virginia is estimated at 
more than $40,000. 

Lead mining in Virginia dates back more than 150 years, and 
the old lead mines of Austinville, Wythe county, were the jEirst 
to be worked. Mining of zinc ores in the State dates from the 
opening of the mines at Bertha, Wj^the county, in 1879. The pro- 
duction of lead and zinc in Virginia, which in 1916 amounted to 
nearly $700,000 in value, has been increased during the past sev- 
eral years by the output from the Holladay and Allah Cooper 
mines in Spotsylvania county. 

Of the minerals mined in Virginia, coal is the most important 
both from the standpoint of quantity and value. In 1917 the 
production in the State amounted to 10,087,091 short tons, valued 
at $20^125,713. The production of coke for the same year amounted 
to 1,304,230 short tons, valued at $5,785,934. Virginia takes rank 
among the principal coal-producing States in the United States 
because of the extensive coal fields in the southwest part of the 
State, which include a part or all of the following counties: Taze- 
well, Russell, Scott, Dickenson, Buchanan, Wise and Lee. Coal is 
also produced in Montgomery and Pulaski counties, and deposits 
are known in Frederick, Augusta, Botetourt, Bland, and Wythe 
counties. In addition to these an important coal area, and the only 
one adjacent to Tidewater on the Atlantic slope of the United 
States, is the Richmond Coal Basin, which covers parts of the fol- 
lowing five counties: Henrico, Chesterfield, Powhatan, Goochland, 
and Amelia. The coals of this basin represent a good grade of 
bituminous fuel which has been mined quite extensively at several 
localities on the east side of the basin. 



38 DepartTnent of Agriculture 

The clays of Virginia show great variety, are widely distrib- 
uted, and are suitable for many commercial purposes. Almost 
©very county in Virginia contains clay suitable for the manufac- 
ture of common brick, and, in most cases, the deposits are of such 
character that common brick of the best quality can be made. The 
total value of clay products in Virginia in 1917 was $1,664,305. 

The production of stone has been an important industry in 
the State for many years, and the product of some varieties, 
especially granite, has been used in many notable structures. The 
stone industry for 1917 was third in importance among those 
based on the mineral wealth of the State, being surpassed only by 
coal and coke. The production of stone in Virginia for 1917, in- 
cluding granite, limestone, sandstone, and slate, was valued at 
$1,739,946. 

The mineral waters of Virginia are an important source of 
revenue in the State. Virginia has a large number of spring re- 
sorts and a great variety and abundance of well-iaiown commercial 
waters. Indeed, Virginia is par excellence a mineral springs State, 
occupying am.ong the South Atlantic States the same position that 
New York does in the North Atlantic section. Virginia is second 
only to New York in the number of springs that are utilized com- 
mercially and exceeds New York in the number of resorts. The 
total sales of water from the mineral springs in Virginia in 1917 
amounted to 2,518,050 gallons, valued at $237,788. 

Other mineral products produced in Virginia in 1917 and their 
valuations are tabulated below: 

Gold $ 1,300 

Lime 1,820,446 

Mica 25,540 

Millstones and chasers 18,980 

Precious stones 2,677 

Sand and gravel 532,310 

Silver 3,700 

Talc and soapstone 489,062 

Titanium minerals: 

Ilmenite (Estimated) 1,900 

Rutile (Estimated) 16,500 

Miscellaneous* 1,630,824 



* Includes asbestos, barytes, cement, emery, gypsum, marble, peat, quartz 
(silicia), and salt. 



Forest Resources of Virginia 



By R. C. Jones. State Forester. 

THE forests of Virginia constitute a natural resource of tre- 
mendous value to the people of the State. It is naturally 
a forested State, almost the entire surface having been cov- 
ered with magnificent stands of timber at the time of its 
first settlement by white men. It is one of the oldest lumbering 
States in the Union, logs having been shipped from its forests to 
Europe and to the West Indies since early colonial times, and 
with the early commercial development of the nation large quan- 
tities began to be shipped to the large consuming centers of the 
northeast, which has continued as a very important business to the 
present time. 

According to the figures of the most recent census of manu- 
factures taken in 1909, there were in operation, 3,511 sawmills, a 
greater number than in any other State in the Union, and the pro- 
duction of lumber, veneer, staves, heading, poles, mine-props, and 
cordwood amounted to nearly 2 3-4 billions board feet (rank eightli 
among the States of the Union), worth more than $25,000,000. 
This is the value of only the crude products. A portion of the lum- 
ber is further manufactured by wood-using industries within the 
State, giving it an increased value of about $10,000,000 per year, 
and the capital invested in the plants of these wood-using indus- 
tries in sawmills is about $25,000,000. 

The production of lumber in the Tidewater section of the State 
consists principally of yellow pine, with also considerable amounts 
of oak, red, black and tupelo gum, maple, etc., and in certain 
swampy sections considerable quantities of cypress and white cedar 
or juniper. 

In the Piedmont section of the State the cut is about equally 
dividecl between yellow pine and various hardwoods, among which 
the oaks predommate. In the mountainous sections of the State 
the lumber cut .consists principally of oak, chestnut, and yellow 
poplar, with also considerable quantities of hickory, maple, bass- 
wood, hemlock, white pine and yellow pine. 

In spite of the great amount of timber that has been, and is 
being cut from the forests of Virginia, there still remains a very 
large quantity of valuable standing timber. The forest area of the 
State, including both virgin and second growth timber and re- 
cently cut-over lands, is estimated to be not less than 15,000,000 
acres, and the present stand of merchantable timber is estimated to 



Hand Booh of Virginia 



41 



be not less than 30,000,000 board feet. This is due to the ease with 
which timber reproduces itself on cut-over land and on farm land 
when not kept in cultivation, and to the rapidity or growth of the 
young stands, particularly the 3^ellow pine in the eastern part of 
the State. 

The present forests comprise a very great variety of species and 
sizes, and offer splendid opportunities for use in the manufacture 
of a great variety of products. About sixty per cent, of the stand- 
ing timber is estimated to consist of various hardwoods, the bal- 
ance being softwoods. The relative abundance of the different 
species is approximately in the following order: yellow pine, oak, 
chestnut, yellow poplar, red gum, black and tupelo gums, hickory, 
hemlock, beech, white pine, willow, cypress, red cedar, ash, black 
locust, birch, basswood, cottonwood, spruce, walnut, sycamore, 
cherry, and white cedar. There are also small amounts of several 
other species. 

In the central and eastern parts of the State and in the valley 
sections of the mountainous parts, the forests are principally in 
rather small bodies, which makes their protection against fire a 
much easier matter than in sections where the timber is in large 
bodies. In the mountninous parts of the State forest-fires have in 
the past caused considerable destruction, particularly following 
lumbering operations, but a strong sentiment against allowing the 
occurrence of forest-fires is developing, and the prospects for the 
production of continuous supplies of tim.ber in the mountains are 
very favorable. By the application of the sound business principles 
of forestry to the management of the forests of Virginia very 
large yields of valuable material can be secured for an indefinite 
leno^th of time. 




Virginia has millions of undeveloped water power 



AGRICULTURE has been and is the occupation of the great 
majoritj^ of Virginia's people. She is essentially an agri- 
cultural State. The principal agricultural products are 
corn, wheat, oats, buckwheat, barley, tobacco, and the na- 
tive and cultiA^ated grasses, which, together with the clovers and 
other legumes, yield an abundance of hay. There is every conceiv- 
able variety of soil from the sandy loam of the seacoast to the stiff 
clay of the western portions, and, although of such variety, there 
is one noteworthy fact, and that is, the ease with wdiich nearly all 
of the soil is cultivated and its ready response to intelligent treat- 
ment. There is no "worn-out"' Virginia soil. If there is anyone 
anywhere who desires to take up any branch of agriculture, or de- 
sires to devote his time to the raising of any variety of cereal, 
grass, leginne, fruit or animal, he can find in Virginia land and con- 
ditions ideally suitable to that identical thing. 

What the Secretary of Agriculture, Said. 

A Secretary of the United States Department of Agri- 
culture said: "With proper attention to stock raising and 
legume growing six or seven years wdll make your southern 
lands worth $100 per acre. There is no more alluring 
opportunity in America than that of taking $20 or $30 southern 
lands and increasing their values five or six times in a decade, be- 
sides making good profits while doing it." 

And this advice, fortunately for the homeseekers and for the 
South as well, has been confidently followed. Particularly has 
Virginia profited by the southern trend of immigration; for her 
long growing season, her salubrious climate, her well-watered lands 
and her bright, sunny days, all assist nature in making her an ideal 
farming State. To those who have lived in regions harassed by 
long, cruel winters she seems an Eden. 

Statistics, even to the most practical minds, are seldom inter- 
esting, but a few figures touching the Old Dominion will attract 
more than a passing glance from homeseekers in other parts of the 
Union and in foreign lands. Here are some notable facts about 
Virginia : 

In 1880 she had a population of 1,512.565. The 1910 census 
gave a population of 2,061,612 — an increase of 36.3, Avith a present 
population of 2,239,029. 

During the same period her wealth increased from $707,000,000 
to $1,650,000,000, or by $943,000,000, which means a gain of 133.3, 



44 



DepartTTient of Agnculture 



with an estimated wealth at present amounting to over $2,500.- 
000,000. 

Railroad mileage increased from 1,092 miles in 1880 to 4,609 
at present, a gain of 146 per cent. 

Mineral production jumped from $1,438,000 to $16,000,000 in 
1910, with an estimated value at the present of $45,000,000, and 
lumber production from 315,939,000 feet to 2,102,000,000, with an 
annual production at present of over 2,000,000,000 feet. 

Prodtiction and Value of Stajjle Crops hi Virginia — 1909-1917. 



PRODUCTION 


VALUE 


1909 


1917 


1909 


1917 


Corn, 

Wheat 

Oats 

Rye 

Barley 


; . . . 38,295,141 

.... 8,076,989 

.... 2,884,495 

438 345 

253,649 


Bu 

Lbs. 
Tons 
Bu. 

Bales 


72.275,000 Bu. 
17,920.000 " 
5,512,000 " 
1,155,000 •■ 
360,000 " 
696,000 " 
129,500,000 I.bs. 
1,000,000 Tons 
5,775,000 Bus 
19,800,008 

16,000 '• 


$ 23,885,944 

8,776.061 

1,609,973 

344,241 

770,000 

196,196 

12,169.086 

10,256.9ii8 

4,239,832 

5,667,557 

695.721 


1 110,581.000 

38,707,000 

4.630,000 

2,021,000 

500,000 


Buckwheat . 

Tobacco 

Hay 


332,222 

.... 132 979,390 

8,823,388 


1.044,t;00 
34,31S,000 
21,002,000 


Peanuts 

Potatoes 

Cotton 


.... 4 284,340 

.... 8 770,778 

10,480 


11,434,000 

24,750 OOO 

2,224 000 



With an extreme length of 440 miles, the land of the Old Do- 
minion rises from the sea level to a height of more than 5,700 feet, 
and within its Tidewater, Piedmont, Valley and Highland areas 
are between four and five million acres of soil not joi occupied by 
farms capable of making such increases in production and value 
as exhibited by the above table. 

Grains. 

Virginia is rapidly becoming an important grain-growing 
State; 60 bushels of corn and 40 bushels of wheat per acre are 
reported by many of our best farmers. The fact that the average 
price of corn per bushel is higher in Virginia than in any of the 
Western and North Atlantic States and the large increase in yields 
brought about by improved methods of agriculture have stimu- 
lated our farmers to greater efforts in grain production. 

Grasses. 



The western portion of the State has been recognized for years 
as an unsurpassed hay producing section. Bluegrass grows lux- 
uriantly in the valleys and on mountain sides. Clover, timothy, 
herds grass or red toD, and alfalfa are the principal grasses grown 
all over the State. 



Hand Booh of Virginia 



45 



Legu7nes. 

Virginia is recognized as the home of the legumes — soil im- 
provers and nitrogen-gatherers — such as cowpeas, soy beans, crim- 
son clover, hairy vetch, and alfalfa. From the mountains to the 
sea these crops are grown, not only as soil improvers, but for for- 
no-e. Virginia now has about 75.000 acres in alfalfa. One farm 




Some well-bred Virginia corn 

has 500 acres growing, and produced in one year more than $40,000 
in alfalfa hay. Wherever scientific methods have been adopted 
success is always certain. 



Tohacco. 

Virginia may justly claim to be the originator of the tobacco 
industry in this country. The principal occupation of the early 
colonists was tobacco culture. In the historic town of Jamestown, 
in James City county, tobacco was first grown by the early settlers. 
The first exportation was made in 1612 by John Rolfe. At that 



46 DepartTThent of Agriculture 

time all of the tobacco, except what was used by the colonists, was 
exported to Europe, The culture of tobacco rapidly increased, so ' 
much so that the subsistence of the colonists was seriously threat- 
ened. Consequently laws were passed by the Colonial Legislature 
of Virginia that every person cultivating one acre of tobacco should 
cultivate two acres of corn. Commercial fertilizers were unknown 
at that time, yet the colonists produced a fine quality of tobacco, 
due largely to the virgin fertility of the soil. 

Virginia produced on an average in the past three years from 
190,000 acres in tobacco a crop worth nearly $40,000,000. Bright 
tobacco is, in a part of the State, the staple principally relied on as 
a money-making crop. 

There are five distinct qualities of tobacco produced in Vir- 
ginia — dark shipping, red and colored shipping, sun and air-cured 
fillers, bright yelloAv wrappers, smokers and fillers, and mahogany 
flue-cured manufacturing. These are each characterized by pecu- 
liarities of color, quality, bodj'' and flavor, the result of soil in- 
fluence modified by curing and management. The "Virginia Leaf," 
the finest tobacco raised in the United States, has a world-wide 
reputation for excellence. It thrives best in the uplands of Middle 
Virginia and in the Piedmont. In Halifax, Pittsylvania and Henry 
counties, bordering on the North Carolina line, midway of the State, 
and in smaller areas of contiguous counties, the famous "bright 
tobacco" is raised. This always commands a fine price. 

Peanuts. 

N^irginia is one of the largest peanut growing States in Amer- 
ica. In the southeastern portion of the State, in the counties be- 
tween the James river and North Carolina line, the cultivation 
of the peanut is an extensive and profitable industry. On account 
of flavor and quality, Virginia peanuts bring the highest prices. 
One hundred bushels per acre may be grown. The yearly value 
of this crop is about eleven million dollars. 

Trucks. 

Virginia is today the greatest trucking State in America. Its 
truck crops brought last year $18,000,000, an increase in ten 
years of 80 per cent. The counties of Accomac and North- 
ampton, the 'Eastern Shore," produce annually more than three 
million dollars' worth of Irish and sweet potatoes. The whole 
eastern section of the State, contiguous to large bodies of water, 
has its climate so modified by the Gulf Stream and the lands re- 
sponds so quickly that truck raising has become a very lucrative 
business. This lucrative business is not confined to the Tidewater 



Hand Booh of Virginia 47 

section, however. Five railroad stations in Smyth and Wythe 
counties in Southwest Virginia, shipped in one year 30,000,000 
pounds of cabbage. Some Virginia trucking lands cannot be bought 
for $300 per acre. Lands are valuable wdien cabbage and onions 
produce $500 crops per acre; lettuce $1,300 per acre, and when 
330 bushels of potatoes per acre grow on 100-acre fields. After 
the potato crop has been harvested the same land grows 50 bushels 
of corn per acre the same season; and at the last working of the 
corn the land is seeded to crimson clover — three crops in one sea- 
son. There is yet an abundance of land that may be brought for 
$25.00 per acre and easily improved so as to grow fine crops. 

Fruits. 

Virginia is one of the most highly-favored fruit-growing States 
in the Union. Indeed, when the variety, abundance and excellence 
of its fruits are considered, it is doubtful if any other State can 
com:pare with it in this respect. Apples, peaches, pears, cherries, 
quinces, plums, damsons and grapes are in abundance, while the 
smaller fruits, such as strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, goose- 
berries and currants, are plentiful. The foothills of the Piedmont 
and Blue Ridge are especially achipted to the apple, some orchards 
producing as much as from $450 to $500 per acre. The peach, re^ 
quiring a somewhat warmer climate, abounds more plentifully in 
Middle Virginia and Tidewater. The eastern slopes of the Blue 
Eidge are especially prolific in grapes, Albemarle county taking 
the lead in their cultivation. They are of excellent quality and 
flavor, both for table use and Avine making. 

Apples may be said to be the principal fruit crop of the State. 
They are extensive!}^ grown and there is a yearly increasing num- 
ber of trees planted. Mr. H. E. Vandeman, one of the best-lcQOwn 
horticulturists in the country, saj^s that there is not in all North 
America a better place to plant orchards than in Virginia. He 
says: "For rich apple soil, good flavor and keeping qualities of 
the fruit, and nearness to the great markets of the East and Europe, 
your country is wonderfully favored." The famous Albemarle Pip- 
pin is considered the most deliciously flavored apple in the world. 
Sixty years ago the lion. Andrew Stevenson, of Albemarle, when 
minister from this country to England, presented a barrel of Albe- 
marle Pippins to Queen Victoria, and from that day to this it 
has been the favorite apple in the royal household of Great Britain. 
Although the Blue Eidge, Piedmont, Valley, and Southwest sec- 
tions are more particularly adapted to the apple, they are grown to 
some extent in every section of the State. The fig, pomegranate 
and other delicate fruits flourish in the Tidewater region. 




The Virginia Winesap Apple. 



Hand Book of Virginia 49 

We have mentioned the cultivated fruit; but in many sections 
there will be found gi-oAving wild in abundance, the strawberry, 
the whortleberry, the haAv, the persimmon, the plum, the black- 
berry, the dewberry, a fine variety of o'rapes for jellies and wines, 
the cherr}^, the raspberry and the mulberr}^ ; and there may be found 
the chestnut, the hazelnut, the walnut, the hickorynut, the beech- 
nut, and the chinquepin. 

Some orchards in the State have yielded crops that sold as 
high as $500 per acre in the orchard. There are now many large 
commercial orchards in this State. 

Live Stock. 

The fact that Virginia is neither north nor south, but midway 
between the tAvo, situated as fnr south as bluegrass has ever been 
grown successfully, thus escaping the rigors of northern and west- 
ern winters and getting the benefit of short and mild winters, with 
consequent long grazing seasons, including a certain amount of 
winter grazing, makes cattle raising a source of profitable revenue. 
Virginia is the only State that exports beef cattle direct from the 
bluegrass pastures. Seventy-five thousand head of highly bred 
cattle are exported from the grassy slopes of Virginia to English 
markets each j^ear. 

The large increases in grass and forage crops have caused 
many of our farmers who live in the eastern section of the State 
to give more attention to stock raising. The industry is increas- 
ing throughout the State. 

Sheep. 

The lands of the Appalachian region, varying from 1,500 to 
2,300 in altitude, intersected with Avide grassy valleys and inter- 
penetrated with streams of pure Avater, furnish an ideal sheep 
Avalk. They instinctively seek high ground for rest. They loA^e 
an undulating, well-drained surface. These combinations of hill 
and valley, Avith luxuriant pasture and abundant shade, free from 
the extremes of the northern Avinter or the southern summer, are 
not to be found in such profusion anyAvhere. All the natiA^e and 
cultiA^ated grasses are available. Tlie Avinter cereals — wheat, oats, 
rye, barley, etc. — soAvn in the early fall furnish an abundant and 
nutritious winter pasture. Earely is any shelter needed, and ma- 
terials for the simple ones in use are present on nearly all farms. 

In the grazing sections of the State almost every farmer has 
a flock of cAves and counts the profits from his early lambs as gain. 
The pioneers in early lamb production were handicapped by the 




t 



Hand Booh of Virginia 51 

fact that markets were uncertain, buyers had to be hunted, and the 
difficulty of getting a carload ready at one time. All these diffi- 
culties have been removed. Railroads supply the shipping facili- 
taies; the buyer no longer has to be looked for — he is there ahead 
of the lamb; public sentiment as to more adequate control of dogs 
is rapidly changing, preventing dogs from running at large and 
unattended, improved legislation having been enacted in 1918; and 
it seems certain that the new order of affairs will result in in- 
creased production of sheep. 

Hogs. 

With the large variet}^ of forage crops as well as corn, and the 
long growing season, Virginia can raise pork cheaper than the 
West can do it on corn alone. Hog-raising markets the crops with 
less labor, and improves the soil; both add to the farmers profits. 
A large portion of the State offers fine opportunities for this 
profitable business. The use of hog cholera serum, distributed 
by the State Department of Agriculture at cost, now protects the 
farmers from heavy loss and risks. 

Dairying. 

There are the folloAving reasons why a dairy farm pays better 
in Virginia than in other States, if a man looking for great possi- 
bilities in the dairy business keeps in mind these features: 

1. He needs a good climate. 

2. He needs to be sure of abundant water supply. 

3. He needs to locate on low-priced lands when he is starting. 

4. He needs a soil that responds readily to care and holds 
the improvement. 

5. He needs a cheap food for his cattle. 

6. He needs cheap building material. 

T. He needs good and easy transportation. 

8. He needs a ready sale for such of his herd as he does not 
desire to keep. 

9. He needs a profitable market for his products. 

10. He needs sympathetic aid from persons on the field who 
are prepared to give expert advice. 

These ten needs have been met as evidenced in the foregoing 
pages. 



Industrial Resources 



No less prominent than Virginia's great agricultural develop- 
ment under the favored conditions set forth in preceding 
pages are her splendid achievements in other industries. 
The. value of her manufactories increased from $108,^ 
600,000 in 1900 to $400,000,000 in 1917. The annual lumber cut 
exceeds 2,000,000,000 feet ; the total value of minerals mined in 1917 
aggregated $45,000,000. representing an increased production in 
coal, manganese, pja^ite, etc. The production of iron ores in Vir- 
ginia in 1917 amounted to 472,311 long tons, valued at $1,182,338. 
Tlie valuation of the production of pig iron for the same j'eav is 
estimated at $7,500,000. In 1917 the production of coal amounted 
to 10,087,091 short tons, valued at $20,125,713, and the production 
of coke for the same year amounted to 1,304,230 short tons, valued 
at $5,785,934. Virginia takes rank among the principal coal-pro- 
ducing States in the United States. 

Cotton areas nearby furnish her textile mills with the best 
grade staple; marbles, building stones, cement work, etc., also give 
the State prestige in manufacturing, as well as large tobacco fac- 
tories, knitting mills, wagon factories, peanut mills, tanneries, 
etc., — all with raw materials near at hand. 

Eeport submitted for the fiscal 3^ear. ending June 30, 1918, 
shows a tonnage of foreign commerce from the ports of Norfolk 
and NeAvport News amounting to 17.137,735 short tons. 

A minimum 500,000 horsepower is available on a number of 
water courses, and fuel is cheap and abundant. The lines of trans- 
portation give excellent service, reaching the great markets witli 
facility — all of which invite the capitalist and investor to the Old 
Dominion. 

Summary. 

We have not overdrawn the picture of the attractive invita- 
tion which Virginia extends to the horoeseeker, particularly the 
one who desires to reside in the country and folloAv the life of the 
farmer. With her diversified surface and varied elevation, her 
mild climate, fine rainfall well distributed through the year, her 
numerous water courses and streams, and her fertile soil, she pre- 
sents an opportunity for all kinds of agricultural pursuits. The 
homeseeker can find an attractive location for any line of cultiva- 
tion he may wish to follow. From the fish and oysters of the bays 
and estuaries, the peanut growing and the trucking of Tidewater, 
the raising of corn, wheat, oats, tobacco, fruits and stock of the 



Hand Book of Virginia 55 



Piedmont, to the blue grass grazing of the more mountainous sec- 
tion, he has a varied field of selection. 

And of her people, we quote this graceful compliment from a 
recent pen : "It is not the amount of territory which makes the Old 
Dominion a definite locality, but the men and women who people 
it." 

No student of the history of Virginia can fail to note the con- 
spicuous place this great Commonwealth has occupied in our Union 
since colonial days. While, as the Mother of Presidents, she has 
achieved political eminence in the annals of the nation, she has 
been no less prominent in all those activities that bring material 
prosperity. Indeed, with all of her wealth of brilliant men and 
women, it is doubtful whether she could have achieved the high 
place she has occupied as a colony and as a State had not nature 
dealt with her in a lavish manner; and these achievements made- 
possible by the great natural advantages of Virginia, as outlined 
in the foregoing pages, are effectively reinforced by co-operative 
forces correlating efforts in closest harmony for advancement of tlie 
State's welfare, which will be further discussed in this book. 

Virginia Leads Other States in Market Advantages. 

According to the United States Government report, 191T, the 
value of an acre in — 

Per Acre. Per Acre. 

Corn. Oats. 

*Virginia $45.14 ^Virginia $20.58 

Illinois 41.80 Kansas 19.84 

Missouri 39.90 North Dakota 9.30 

Wheat. Potatoes. 

*Virginia $ 30 . 24 *Virginia $123 . 75 

Nebraska . ; 26 . 91 Minnesota 101 . 92 

Missouri 29.84 

Kansas 24.16 Hay. 

*Virginia $ 24 . 71 

Iowa 20.66 



56 



Department of Agriculture 



Statement of Capital, Surplus, Undivided Profits and Deposits 

In the National and State Banks in the Southeastern States. 





NATIONAL BANKS 


STATE BANKS 






Surplus and 






Surplus and 




Capital 


Undivided 


Deposits 


Capital 


Undivided 


Deposits 






Profits 






Profits 




Va. 


« 19,918,000 


1 18,374,000 


« 140,015,000 


$ 14,2.54,061 


$ 12,799,691 


1 85,099,077 


WVa 


10,055,000 


9,172,000 


94,682,000 


10,411,137 


8 735 522 


90,272,739 


N.C. 


8,810 000 


6,562,000 


£5,322,000 


11,551,687 


7,315,315 


81 111,224 


s.c. 


9. '267 OOU 


5,331.000 


41,714,00u 


11,698 891 


8 030,240 


56,931,874 


Ga. 


13,008,000 


10,469.000 


78,850 000 


20 982 635 


13,932,263 


82,445,897 


Fla. 


6,460,000 


5,087,000 


54,347,000 


5,298,000 


•2 ,502,518 


^6. 700,454 


Ala. 


10,566.00 


7,928,000 


60,398,000 


10 678,100 


6 215 619 


46,816,291 


Miss. 


3,8'25,000 


2,598,000 


27,9.50,000 


7,618,175 


4,137,-543 


51,198,076 


La. 


7 835.000 


7,015 000 


71,673 000 


5,356,250 


4,190,137 


35 965,282 


Ky. 


16,776000 


11,153,000 


91,068,000 


11,024,150 


6,993,246 


80,601,907 


Tenn. 


14,300 000 


8 510,000 


90.848,000 


15,134,683 


7,408,553 


99,356,729 



Figures taken from report of the Comptroller of the Currency, 1917, 
reserve cities included. 

ONE OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE BANKS IS LOCATED IN 
RICHMOND, VA. 



Mileage Owned by Railroads in Virginia. 

Sin.yie ' rack 

1 Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company 147 . 39 

2 The Atlantic and Danville Railroad Company 255.56 

3 Big Sandy and Cumberland Railroad Company 27.28 

4 Big Stone Gap and Povireirs Valley Railroad Company 3.79 

5 Cape Charles Railroad Company 9 . 52 

6 Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway 96.45 

7 Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Company 681.69 

8 Chesapeake and Western Railroad Company 26.67 

9 Chesapeake and Western Railway 14.62 

10 Cumberland Valley and Martinsburg Railroad ■ 9.21 

11 Danville and Western Railway 67 . 08 

12 Delaware, Maryland and Virginia Railroad .66 

13 Franklin and Pittsylvania Railroad Company 29.90 

14 Interstate Railroad Company 38.83 

15 Laurel Railway Company 4 . 47 

16 Louisville and Nashville Railroad Company 68.10 

17 Marion and Rye Valley Railway Company 18.10 

18 Nelson and Albemarle Railway Company 10.39 

19 New River, Holston and Western Railway Company 34.59 

20 New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk Railway Company 59.24 

21 Norfolk and Portsmouth Belt Line Railroad Company 12.14 

22 Norfolk Southern Railroad Company Ill . 85 

23 Norfolk Terminal Railway Company .36 

24 Norfolk and Western Railway Company 1,201.39 

25 Potomac, Fredericksburg and Piedmont Railway Company .... 37 . 60 

26 Potomac Railroad Company 1 . 10 

27 Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac and Richmond and 

Petersburg Railroad Connection Company 1.21 

28 Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad Company.... 81.92 

29 Richmond and Mecklenburg Railroad Company 31.30 

30 Roaring Fork Railroad Company 1.61 



Hand Book of Virginia 57 

No. Single Track 

31 Rosslyn Connecting Railroad Company 2.69 

32 Seaboard Air Line Railway Company 157.50 

33 Southern Railway Company 555 . 89 

34 Surry, Sussex and Southampton Railway 65.10 

35 Tidewater and Western Railroad Company 92.54 

36 Valley Railroad Company of Virginia 61.28 

37 Virginia Blue Ridge Railway Company 12.01 

38 Virginia Carolina Railway Company 36.67 

39 Virginia and Kentucky Railway Company 4.20 

40 Virginia Southern Railway Company 12.00 

41 Virginia and Southwestern Railway Company 98.21 

42 The Virginian Railway Company 329 . 66 

43 The Virginian Terminal Railway Company 1.75 

44 Washington Southern Railway Company 31.04 

45 Winchester and Potomac Railway Company.... 11.22 

46 Winchester and Strasburg Railway Company 19.00 



Total 94,574 . 73 

Facts About Virginia. 

Total population of the State 2,239,029 

Rural population 1,585,033 

Number of farm owners 148,818 

Number of tenant farmers 40,000 

Number of cities over 5,000 population 25 

Number of cities under 10,000 population 11 

Number of cities over 10,000 population 14 

Number of R. F. D. routes 1,119 

Miles of rural roads 52,000 

Miles of steam railroads (single track) 4,609 

Miles of electric railways 461.35 

Acreage included in farms 19,495,636 

Average acreage to the farm 105.9 

Population of Virr/hiia Cities. 

Richmond 200,000 Charlottesville 12.000 

Norfolk 150,000 Fredericksburg 7,500 

Newport News 50,000 Winchester 7,000 

Roanoke 50,000 Clifton Forge 7,000 

Portsmouth 40,000 Harrisonburg 6,000 

Lynchburg 35,000 Pulaski 6,000 

Petersburg 28,000 South Boston 5,000 

Danville 25,000 Covington 5,500 

Alexandria 20,000 Radford 5,000 

Hopewell 35,000 Lexington 5,000 

Staunton 14,000 Farmville 5,000 

Suffolk 13,000 Salem 5,000 

Bristol 22,000 




< 



What Others Say about Virginia 



[The writer of this brief article, Mr. W. D. Zinn, who is a citizen of 
another State, has traveled extensively in a dozen other States. Mr. Zinn is 
one of the best informed men in the country on the agricultural conditions 
and the opportunities offered to the industrious homeseeker.] 

NO State in the I'liion offers greiiter inducements to the 
homeseeker than tlie old State of Virginia. Her mihl 
climate, pure water and productive soil make her almost 
a paradise for those who want to enjo_y life on the farm 
and at the same time accumulate competence. No matter what 
line of farming- one desires to follow, here ma}' be found the con- 
ditions suited to it. As a li^^e stock country no State surpasses 
her. For the production of grain crops she has no superior and 
but few equals. Cotton and tobacco are produced very profitably. 
As to the production of fruit she is already gaining a world-wide 
reputation. Some of the largest commercial orchards of the East 
are found within her borders, and some of these orchards have 
produced an annual income of from S300 to $500 per acre. This 
fruit has been produced on lands that a few years ago sold for 
$10 to $20 per acre, and there are yet thousands of acres of land 
that can be purchased at low figures that will produce as fine fruit 
as any of the bearing orchards. The fruit-grower can find no 
greater inducements than are found in the "Old Dominion." Why 
go to the northwest and purchase high-priced lands, grow fruit 
and ship it four thousand miles when better fruit can be grown 
on these cheap lands with the markets at the door 

The Helpfulness of the State Ag-ricultiiral Department. 

The Virginia Department of Agriculture, which a few years 
ago was about to be abolished, is now one of the most important 
branches of the State Government. The present Commissioner, 
Hon. G. W. Koiner, was put in charge, and from a small office it 
has extended its usefulness into every branch of agriculture. 

The first step toward helping the oppressed farmer was to 
have enacted such a law as would protect farmers against indif- 
ferent and adulterated fertilizers, and At the same time provide 
a fund for the maintenance, support and extension of agricultural 
work and science. This fertilizer law which our Commissioner 
worked for and had passed is saving the farmers of Virginia from 
$2,000,000 to $2,500,000 each year.^ And as we are using about 
$15,000,000 worth of fertilizer each year in the State, can any- 
one doubt this statement, if we stop to consider for a moment what 



Hand Book of Virginia 61 

the result would be if $7,000,000 of fertilizer were allowed to be 
dumped on the farmers of the State without watching and inspec- 
tion and being analyzed to see that it contained the fertilizer value 
claimed on the bag? 

First, every manufacturer offering fertilizer for sale in Vir- 
ginia is required to register the same with the Department of Agri- 
culture, giving weight, name of brand, name of manufacturer and 
the guaranteed analj^sis. There are ten inspectors in the State of 
Virginia (one from each of the congressional districts), traveling 
in each of these districts in the spring and fall of the year when 
the fertilizer is moving. These inspectors collect samples of fer- 
tilizers and send them to the Commissioner's ofSce with such in- 
formation as they find on the sacks. This information is recorded 
by the fertilizer clerk and then the sample of fertilizer is given a 
number and is sent to the laboratory. It is analyzed and reported 
in the bulletins, and violations are prosecuted by law. Samples 
of lime are drawn in the same way. 

The Department has also a well-equipped seed laboratory, and 
seeds are sent in by the farmers to be tested and are collected also 
by the fertilizer inspectors of this Department, who travel during 
the spring and fall seasons. After these tests are made by 
the seed analyst, then the results of these tests are jDrinted in the 
bulletin, giving both the guarantee and what was found, also pub- 
lishing the names of the seedmen, so that whether it be fertilizer, 
lime or seed, these facts are all published for the benefit of the 
farmers, who can see for themselves just from whom and what they 
are buying. As a result of this seed inspection, twelve violations 
of this seed law were reported to the Commonwealth's ,attorney 
in one month. Our seedmen are trying to get better seed to com- 
ply with the law more satisfactorily. 

Hog cholera serum is another branch of work the De- 
partment is handling successfully, and during the last three j^ears 
over $300,000 worth of hos's have been saved. The farmer can 
now put his mone}'^ into this important industry and feel he can 
depend on this serum saAdng his hogs if administered to them in 
time. It is furnished at actual cost of manufacture, and the De- 
l^artment is doing this work without any additional cost for 
clerical force or for labor. This is but further evidence of the 
economical use of the employees of the office. 

Immigration Aided. — This is also a branch of the Department 
Avhich has accomplished a ^'aluable work in bringing to the atten- 
tion of other States the opportunities Virginia offers to good and 
worthy citizens, and as a result our idle acres are being taken up 
and the prices of lands have doubled during the last ten years. 




> 

c 



Rand Booh of Virginia 63 



The Department publishes literature, books and bulletins and sends 
them broadcast to the north and west and answers over ten thou- 
sand letters annually from inquirers from other States concerning 
Virginia lands. Man}- millions of dollars are invested every year 
in Virginia lands, and their values are increasing steadily. 

In addition to 70,000 bulletins being mailed to the farmers of 
this State each month, the Department issues an annual report of 
200 pages, which is also mailed to those 70,000 farmers; and in this 
connection will state, so far as we are advised, this is the largest 
regular mailing list in the State^ — and all bulletins are sent free 
to our farmers. 

Besides the different kinds of work already enumerated, Mr. 
Koiner answers in the neighborhood of twenty-five thousand let- 
ters, in addition to the immigration mail, asking about Virginia 
lands. These letters cover every phase of farming. Plants and 
weeds of all kinds are sent in for identification, as well as insects 
of all kinds for the same purpose. 

Test Farms. — Five test farms are being maintained by this De- 
partment. At these farms, experiments of all kinds are being con- 
ducted with all lands of farm and truck crops; and as these farms 
enlarge their work and have time to work out extended tests, the 
farmer and trucker will gain a great store of information as to 
varieties, methods of culture, seasons of planting and the combat- 
ing of insects. IS"© one farmer is able to make these tests and must 
rely on his Department to woi-k them out for him. 

Lectures and Farmers Institutes. — The lecture field is recog- 
nized as a valuable branch of agricultural work, and your Commis- 
sioner, through the assistance of the railroads, has, with his lec- 
ture force, reached and addressed many thousand farmers every 
year. The best lecturers that could be gotten were secured, and 
whenever available, they came from our experiment stations, and 
the United States Department of Agriculture in Washington. 

Museum Maintained for Farmers. — In order that the farmers 
might be inspired and edified, a splendid collection of farm crops 
is kept on exhibition at the Department. This is one of the best 
exhibits of this character shown b}^ any State. It is a source of 
pride to the Commissioner to say to the farmers of Virginia that 
all this work is done from the funds realized by the sale of tax tags 
and the registration of brands of fertilizers, from which source 
about $60,000 is derived. Many other States receive from five to 
twenty times this amount with which to develop agriculture in 
their respective States, and yet it has been stated that the Virginia 
Department of Agriculture gets the best agricultural results of any 
State. 



64 



Department of AgrieuUure 



Our farmers are asked to write for any information relating 
to their work. If you have any noxious weeds that you wish 
identified or any mineral you want analyzed, or any other infor- 
mation on better farming, just write to Hon. G. W. Koiner, the 
Commissioner of Agriculture, at Richmond. Virginia, and you will 
receive information to lead you to secur*^ satisfactory results. — 
From Soiither7i Progress Magazine. 




Other Features of the Work Promoting 
Agriculture 



The Division of Markets Within the Department of Agriculture. 

THE one fructifying factor which has hitherto been lacking 
in Virginia's agricultural development is economic organi- 
zation. The remedy is the carrying over into agriculture 
the very principles of organizaticm which have made our 
industrial life what it is — an application of the same principles of 
concerted and foresighted action, co-ordination of allied enterprises, 
careful cost-keeping, and the consequent elimination of needless ex- 
pense and wasteful methods, and open-mindedness towards 
cliange and possible improvement. It has been well said that 




Community League Meeting 

American industrial life is at least an era in advance^ of American 
agriculture. It is of the utmost importance to consider seriously 
liow to apply the lessons learned in the industrial world to the 
problems of agriculture. 

One of the first steps is to find a satisfactory basis upon AAdiich 
to build a comprehensive organization of rural life to take the ])lace 
of the old basis of scattered movements that have been swept away 
by the general re-organization of the economic world. Realizing 
the futility of growing large crops that can not be marketed to 
advantage, the General Assembly of this State in 1916 created a 
division of markets within the Department of Agriculture. In an 
effort to promote successful marketing of products on the one 
hand and the successful purchasing of supplies on the other, this 




Splendid Holstein Herd 






Interior of a Modern Dairy 



The Dairy and Food Division of the 
Department of Agriculture 



Benj. L. Purcell, 'Comtnissioner. 

THIS division of the Department was established by tlie 
General Assembly in 1908, and has developed into one 
of the most important bureans of this Department, as its 
work relates to the protection of the food supply for man 
and beast, and the promotion and encouragement of the dairy in- 
dustry in the State. 

Due to the constant supervision maintained by the inspectors 
of this division over all articles of food offered for sale, the require- 
ment for the observance of proper sanitary precautions in food 
manufacturing and distributing plants, and the inspection of the 
stock and poultry feeds, the food and feed supplies of the State 
are most effectively guarded against adulteration and misbrand- 
ing. Our bakeries, meat shops, grocery stores, hotels, restaurants, 
dairies, creameries and, in fact, all food distributing places, com- 
pare most favorablv with the best conditions obtaining in other 
States in the cleanliness of their surroundings and methods em- 
ployed in handling their food products. 

The legislature recognized the unusual advantages the State 
offers for the promotion and increase of the dairy industry, and 
has made special provision by liberal appropriation of funds and 
the enactment of beneficent legislation to foster and encourage this 
most important branch of the agricultural development of the 
State. Under the direction of the Dairy and Food Commissioner 
competent instructors are sent out to the dairy farms, creameries 
and cheese factories to confer and advise with the owners in con- 
nection with the many problems which the dairymen meet and 
must overcome. These instructors are specially fitted for this work ; 
are men who combine the science and theory of dairying with an 
actual ]5ractical experience that makes their suggestions and advice 
especially valuable. They aive advice in the selection, handling, 
breeding and feeding of dairy cows, building barns and silos, the 
protection and marketing of the product and the sanitation of the 
dairies, creameries, etc. 

The special advantages for dairying the State offers are our 
equable climate, responsive soil and unlimited markets for dairy 
]3roducts. The home consumption is not alone supplied by our own 
production ; we have half a dozen States on or near our borders who 
would be eager buyers for a possible surplus, and our excellent 
water and rail transportation facilities put our output about forty- 



70 Department of Agriculture 

eight hours nearer to the outside markets than any competitors we 
will have. Our mild winters and long grazing seasons materially 
lessen the costs of the operating plants, expensive barns are unneces- 
sary, while the cost of production is so materially lessened bj' the 
enormous forage crops that can be produced on our lands and the 
natural pastures we have that any possible competition could be 
speedily overcome b}" the thrifty and intelligent Virginia dairyman. 

The attention of breeders and of dairymen generally is di- 
rected to the splendid opportunities which Virginia offers as a 
location for those who have had experience in the breeding of dairy 
cattle. In addition to the fact that the cost of raising the calves 
is very much lower in this State than in the great dairy States 
of the North and West, the Virginia breeder has at his door a de- 
mand for purebred cows and for the better class of grade animals 
which cannot now be supplied, and Avhicli is increasing with the 
rapid development of the industry in this State. The advantages 
are all on the side of the local breefler of dair^' cattle. The dairy- 
men of the State have learned that animals bred in A^irginia are 
nearly always free from tuberculosis and other contagious diseases, 
while the contrarj^ is frequently true as to imported stock. The 
State regulations as to bringing dairy cows into the State are, of 
necessity, very rigid, and the Virginia dairyman would prefer to buy 
his cows within the State if his needs could be supplied by local 
breeders. To the south of Virginia is a tier of States in which 
the dairy industry is in its infancy. A wonderful commercial de- 
velopment is in progress in these States. Large cities are groAving 
up which must be supplied with milk. The dairAaiien supplying 
these cities are beginning already to buy a better class of milkers, 
and this demand is constantly increasing, Tlie breeder of dairy 
cattle who establishes himself in Virginia is assured of a market 
which w^ill improve from year to year. 

Dairy farming in Virginia offers one of the surest prospects 
of rcAvard to the farmer who looks for quick returns from his in- 
vestment and who will give to his work the energy and care that 
succcess demands. The expert butter and cheese maker will find a 
field well worth his investigation, and in which a limited invest- 
ment properly managed can be made to produce profitable and 
satisfactorv returns. The Dairy and Food Division will furnish 
to pros]Dective dair^^ farmers, crenmery and cheese men full de- 
tailed information as to the dairv industry of the State and assist 
anvone who may contemplate investigatiiifr the local conditions 
existing in the various localities of the State. 



The State Highway Department 



G. P. Coleman, Highway Commissioner. 

DURING the twelve months beginning October 1, 1916 and 
ending October 1, 1917, the Highway Commission worked 
in ninety-three of tlie liundrecl counties of the State. In 
that time the forces of the State and counties were em- 
ployed on 339 pieces of road, constructing 523 miles of road of 
all classes. Resurfacing and reconstruction work was done on 129 
miles of road. In addition to this, we have had under contract 




Good Roads bring the farmer and the city closer together and add to the 
business interests and pleasure of country life 

in the same period 81 bridges, making a total of 420 pieces of work 
supervised by the engineers of the Department. 

We have 33 con^^-ict camps at work in as many different coun- 
ties, representing approximately 800 to 1,000 convicts from the 
State Penitentiary, and from 250 to 350 jail men from the various 
county jails, making a total from all sources of 1,050 to 1,350 pris- 
oners who are employed l)v the State on road work. This labor 
cost the State to clotlie, feed, guard, and otherwise provide for 



72 Department of Agriculture 

during the year 77 3-10 cents per ten honr working day. In the 
other 60 counties of the State we have been working under State 
monej^ aid and county and district bond issue laws. For this pur- 
pose, that is, State money aid, the State appropriated $190,000.00 
from the general treasury, this money to be distributed to coun- 
ties which could not receive State aid in the form of convict labor. 
The legislature of 1916 appropriated the automobile tax to mi^^n- 
tenance of roads and bridges, which became eifective June 21st, 
1916. This made an amount available for maintenance in 1916 of 
$46,962.42 and in 1917 $465,371.41. ^Last year we expended on road 
and bridge work throughout the State $1,907,850.24, and for main- 
tenance of roads and bridges, $298,867.52. Maintenance work was 
done on 2,153 miles of road and 26 bridges. 

Since the organization of the department, the State has ap- 
propriated for road improvement in the various counties of the 
State under the convict road law and the State money aid law 
$4,431,833.81. To this must be added the bonds issued by the 
various counties of the State, amounting to $9,054,200.00, making 
a total fund for road and bridge purposes of $13,486,033.81. Dur- 
ing this time we liave constructed 4,976 miles of surfaced and graded 
roads. In addition to this, between 400 and 450 bridges of all 
classes have been constructed. 

The last legislature changed the various State laws and estab- 
lished "The State Highway System," designating approximately 
3,700 miles of the 50,000 miles in the State as the main highways 
to be constructed and maintained entirely by the State. For this 
purpose they appropriated, for the two years, approximately $510,- 
000.00, together with convict labor, appropriating for the mainte- 
nance of this labor for 1918-19, $200,000.00 and for 1919-20, $250,- 
000.00. In addition to this, they have set aside the funds received 
from the automobile licenses for the maintenance of The State 
Highway System, these funds to be used in connection with the 
funds received from the National government for the construction 
of The State Highway System. Under the Federal highway bill, 
Virginia received in 1916-17, $100,000.00, increasing each year b;/' 
a like amount, until our receipts from that source will be $500,- 
000.00. 

In addition to this, the last General Assembly enacted a law, 
requiring the counties to establish County Highway Systems, 
these to be constructed by the counties Avith such assistance as 
might be given them from time to time by the State. For this 
purpose the General Assemblv appropriated for the two vears 
$600,000.00. 



Public School System of Virginia 



Harris Hart, State Superintendent Public Instruction. 

THE Public School System of Virginia was established in 
1871 before Virginia had recovered from the effects of the 
Civil War. At the time of its inception, many prominent 
people did not believe that it was the function of the 
State to educate all of the children of all of the people, and it 
was many years before public schools received the full, free and 
hearty support of all of the people of the Commonwealth. 

Under the able and wise leadership of Dr. Ruffner, the public 
school system was sanely inaugurated and wisely administered. 
By his far sighted judgment and discretion the public school sys- 
tem soon overcame the prejudices that marked its beginning, and 
the wide field of usefulness to which it now directs its activities 
is in a large measure the result of his policies. 

At the present time the Virginia Public School System is 
well organized and administered. It receives the hearty support 
and co-operation of the people of the State. Everywhere is seen 
evidence of the earnest desire of the people of the State to make 
the system more effective in the education of its children. 

The General Assembly is keenly alive to the needs and pur- 
poses of the public schools. The 1918 Assembly passed certain 
legislation of the utmost importance to the development of the 
system. This Assembly increased the levy for school purposes 4c, 
making a 14c State levy instead of the 10c rate which was hereto- 
fore levied. ISTot only were the funds of the public schools in- 
creased by this added 4c levy, but the a]^propriation bill carried 
an increase of about $100,000.00 over the appropriation of last 
session. 

Many new problems during the reconstruction period, which 
is now at hand, will have to be met if the public school system 
is to continue to serve the people of the State in a real and con- 
structive manner. 

The State Board of Education, the Department of Education, 
and the citv and county systems of education, are all co-operating 
in a very fine manner in order to make the schools a constructive 
force in the perio'd of reconstruction. There are many forces in 
Virginia co-operating with those charged with tlie conduct of the 
public school system. The Depnrtment of Airriculture is lending 
valuable assistance. The State Board of Health is doing a splen- 
did type of work for the improvement of henltli conditions through- 



Hand Booh of Virginia 75 

out the State. The Co-Operative Educational Association is ren- 
dering efficient ser\'ice in the organization and improvement of 
school leagues. All the institutions of higher learning, normal 
schools, the State Teachers' Association, many clubs and organiza- 
tions in the State, are all giving valuable assistance to the public 
schools. 

The Virginia Public School System is now charged with the 
important dut}^ of administering the funds of the Smith-Hughes 
bill. The State Board of Education has been designated as the 
State Board of Vocational Education in Virginia. A bulletin has 
already been issued on Vocational Education, and a special super- 
visor for agriculture, has been appointed. 

The section that follows will show wl^at the public school sys- 
tem is doing to promote better farming. 

What the Public School System Is Doing to Promote Better Farming. 

More than ten years ago the State Board of Education realized 
the necessity of teaching better farming methods through the pub- 
lic schools, and. as a consequence, organized a system of Con- 
gressional District Agricultural High Schools. On account of -the 
fact that students were required to leave home and board at or in 
the vicinity of the agricultural schools to attend them; the lack 
of local support; and the lack of sufficient funds for the State 
Board of Education to provide adequate supervision, it was diffi- 
cult for these schools to accomplish the purpose for which they 
were established. In spite of their limitations, they have been 
successful in directing public attention in Virginia and many other 
States toward the teaching of vocational agriculture and they have 
surely paved the way for a better system of vocational agriculture. 

The State Board of Education in co-operation with the Fed- 
eral Board for Vocational Education, is offering to the boys and 
girls of the Virginia farms an opportunity to learn improved 
methods of farming at no expense to themselves, and in such a man- 
ner tliat not only will there be increased production, but better busi- 
ness methods, better homes and better living conditions in the rural 
districts. In the present plan of the State Board, the controlling- 
purpose is to fit boys and girls for useful employment on the farms, 
consequents, only those who contemplate farming as a profes- 
sion are encouraged to enroll in the vocational classes. 

At present there are twenty-seven schools, each in a different 
county, in which a department of agriculture is subsidized by the 
State, and just as fast as the federal funds for the partial sup- 
port of this work become available, new counties will be added to 
the list, so that before many years there will be in nearh' every 



76 Department of Agrictdture 

county of the State a school with a well organized department 
of agriculture offering a four j^ears' course of study. 

A very excellent feature of this type of agricultural education 
is the home and school project work, carried on by the pupils 
under the direction of the teacher of agriculture. All students are 
required to engage in farming operations at home or on the school 
farm for at least six months in the year. The farm work done 
by the individual pupil is seldom less than the raising of an acre 
of corn, or some other crop, and often consists of the cultivation 
of as many as fifteen acres. At the present time, some of the pu- 
pils have the management of the entire home farm and direct it 
under the supervision of the teacher. Among the various types of 
projects undertaken by the pupils may be mentioned: the raising 
of peanuts, cotton, tobacco, and truck, or any annual crop which 
may be sold for cash; care and feeding of one or more cows, rais- 
ing a litter of pigs, keeping a dairy record for a year; care and 
management of a bearing orchard, care and management of home 
vegetable garden. 

The home project is not only a good means of teaching the 
pupil by having him participate in farming operations, but it 
serves as an ocular demonstration to the parents and the farmers 
of the community. 

The departments of vocational agriculture are under the direct 
supervision of the State Director of Vocational Agriculture, who 
keeps in touch with them by personal visits and a series of reports 
sent to his office at regular stated intervals. 

Departments of vocational agriculture are now in operation 
in the following counties: 

White /Schools. 
County. School. 

Appomattox \ppomattox High School. 

Montgomery Blacksburg High School. 

Nottoway Burkeville High School. 

Charlotte Charlotte C. H. High School. 

Mecklenburg Chase City High School. 

Chesterfield Chester High School. 

Surry Claremont High School. 

Culpeper Culpeper High School 

Dinwiddle Dinwiddle High School. 

Nansemond Driver High School. 

Grayson Elk Creek High School. 

Russell Lebanon High School. 

Prince William Manassas High School. 

Frederick Middletown High School. 

Bedford New London Academy. 

Halifax Turbeville High School. 

Sussex Wakefield High School. 

Carroll Woodlawn High School. 

Rockingham Bridgewater High School. 

Pittsylvania Climax High School. 

Loudoun Lincoln High School. 



Hand Book of Virginia 



11 



Colored Schools. 

Charles City Charles City County Training School. 

Albemarle Albemarle County Training School. 

Caroline Caroline County Training School 

Nottoway Nottoway County Training School. 

York York County Training School. 

Chesterfield Virginia Normal and Industrial Institute. 

In addition to the above departments, the State Board of Edu- 
cation provides for the teacliing of agriculture in all of the ele- 
mentary schools and the rural high schools. 

The plan of teaching agriculture in the usual type of Academic 
High School has been revised to include practical field or project 
work for students on their own home farms or gardens. This work 
is to be done in out-of-school time during the school session and 
during the summer vacation. The project work is under the di- 
rection of the county demonstration agent (Smith-Lever agent),. 
but forms an integral and required part of the High School course 
in agriculture. This course is given in the second year of rurall 
High Schools, and carries a total value of two units credit; one* 
unit for the regular course and one for the project work. Arrange- 
ments have been made with the Extension Department of the Vir- 
ginia Polytechnic Institute whereby the agricultural agent assists ^ 
the regular high school teacher in those phases of instruction pre- 
paring for the project work that the teacher is not qualified tO/ 
deal with. 




FARMERS' INSTITUTE TRAIN.— The State department 
of Agriculture is giving the farmers of the State val- 
uable information on the subject of better farming 
by holding many Institutes in the State each 
year. 



State Board of Health of Virginia 



Ennion G. WiLLiAiMs, M. D., Health Commissioner. 

SINCE the last mimber of the Hand Book of Virginia, which 
included an article describing the re-organization and activi- 
ties of the State Board of Health, the activities of the board 
have broadened into new fields and have developed along the 
lines indicated at that time. 

The working force has, of course, been handicapped in sev- 
eral ways by the exigencies of the war. The service flag of the 
State Board contains already 28 stars. Bnt men and women have 
been found to take the places of many of those who have gone. 

The war has brought to the board new opportunities and new 
duties. The shortage of doctors, due to the fact that Virginia was 
called upon to send so many to the colors, has been taken as an 
added argument for public health work. If doctors are too few in 
number to be available when people are sick, the people must keep 
well. This fact has been emphasized in thousands of ways, and 
through its effect a large number of communities have fallen into 
line and have taken steps to adopt measures to prevent disease. 
A sanitary inspection of every town in the State has been started, 
the aim being to find out actual conditions, and by bringing them 
to the attention of officials and citizens, urge sanitation and pre- 
ventive methods. 

The Board is co-operating with the federal authorities in re- 
gard to venereal disease and vice conditions at the cantonmenta 
and in their vicinity, and with the Public Health Service of th(. 
United States in the same way. It is assisting the federal authori- 
ties in filling up the ranks of doctors who were wanted for the 
military service. All of this work, and other kinds in addition, is 
being carried on now as well. And this was and is in addition 
to the usual routine activities of the Board, which may be brieflj^- 
stated as follows : 

It furnishes literature on the causes and prevention of com- 
municable diseases, written in plain language that can be under- 
stood readily by anyone. Realizing the fundamental importance 
of popular education in anv sanitary campaign, the Board early 
established the Virginia Health Bulletin, a popular publication 
intended to carry the fundamentals of modern sanitation into ever}^ 
home in the State. The bulletins met with immediate recognition, 
both Avithin and without the State, and now has one of the largest 
circulations of any distinctively sanitary publication in the world. 



Hand Book of Virginia 



79 



It reaches an average of more than 60,000 Virginia homes every 
month. It is Avritte.n in popular style, without technicalities, and 
treats of the simple yet all important things Avhich must be mas- 
tered by the average citizen if he is to aid in the work for better 
health. 

To snpjDlement the Health Bulle- 
tin, the Board has for a number of 
years maintained a press service 
which furnishes to the newspapers 
of the State a weekly digest of the 
activities of the Board with such 
•general information on sanitary 
matters as is calculated to be of the 
most interest and value to newspa- 
per readers. This press service has 
been warmly received by the news- 
papers of the State and has been of 
the greatest value in the education 
of the people along sanitary lines. 

Thes Board furnishes diphtheria 
nnd tetanus anti-toxin, smallpox 
vaccine, anti-typhoid vaccine, men- 
ingitis serum and anti-rabic virus 
at wholcvsaio prices to any citizen. 
If an epiflemic occurs in any com- 
munity, it stands an expert to inves- 
tigate the cause and i-ecommend 
means to combat it. If the local au- 
thorities are unable to control the situation, it takes: charge until 
the epidemic is controlled. 

To town and count}^ boards of health, expert advice is fur- 
nished at any time without cost. The Board's laboratory examines 
specimens for tuberculosis, diphtheria, typhoid fever, intestinal par- 
asites, malaria, etc., free of cost upon request of any physician. It 
also makes Wassermann examinations. It gives free treatment 
upon examination for hookworm disease. 

If a town, institution or individual is contemplating the in- 
stallation of a water or sewerage system, tlie Board's expert sani- 
tary and water engineer is available free to advise as to the best 
methods for making the improvement and to pass on any plans 
that may be proposed. The Board's engineer also examines public 
water supplies, making an actual inspection when necessary in addi- 
tion to chemical and bacteriological tests. The Board will also 
inspect upon request an}^ public or private institution, or any city 




Portico of the Catawba Sanatorium, 

Roanoke county, Va., 

winter 



80 



Dejyartment of Agriculture 



town or village, and will recommend the things necessary for sani- 
tary improvement. 

Lecturers will be sent without charge to any community to 
talk about jDublic health questions. 

The Board, through its Bureau of A^ital Statistics, keeps an 
accurate, legal record of the two most important events in the life 
of every citizen — his birth and his death — so that today, or a hun- 
dred years from today, that legal record will be available for any 
of the many purposes for wdiich it may be needed. 

At Catawba Sanatorium, located in a beautiful section near 
Salem, there are offered to the white citizens of the State, at an 
absolutely minimum of cost to the patient, the best methods which 




Dairy at Catawba Sanatorium 

science has been able to devise for the treatment of tuberculosis. 
Contracts were let in July for two additional buildings, so that 
in a comparatively short time the capacity of the sanatorium will 
be about 280 beds. 

At Piedmont Sanatorium, located near Burkeville, similar op- 
portunities for colored people are offered as are offered for white 
people at Catawba. Piedmont has recentty been enlarged and 
will soon have a capacity of eighty beds. This, by the way, is 
the only sanatorium for tubercular colored people in the South. 

The State Board of Health inspects every hotel in the State 
at least once a vear and sees that the sanitary features of the law 



iland Book oj Virginia 



81 



affecting hotels is complied with. It also inspects regularly the 
sources of water supplied by railroads to their passengers for 
drinking to see that they are of the proper degree of purity. It 
furthermore inspects the schools of the State, so far as its resources 
will permit, and frequently makes medical inspection of school 
children. 

At the offices of the Board in Riclunond, the Pasteur treat- 
ment for the prevention of hydrophobia is furnished to those who 
would find the charges at privately conducted Pasteur Institutes 
a hardship. 

Experts employed by the Board are constantly seeking to dis- 
cover new medical and scientific truths regarding the prevention 
of disease, which may be of value to the health of the people of the 
State. Reports of all contagious and infectious diseases prevalent 
in the State are collected and accurately kept, and the Board 
stands at all times on guard against epidemic and pestilence. 

In short, the State Board of Health seeks, by every means 
within its power, to guard the people against disease, and to in- 
crease, through better health, the happiness and prosperity of the 
citizens of Virginia. 







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One Hundred Counties in Virginia 



ACCOMAC — This county is situated in what is known as the "Eastern 
Shore" section of Virginia, eighty miles east of Riclimond and sixty miles 
from Norfolk via railroad and steamer. It is about forty miles long with an 
average width of ten miles, and has an area of 478 square miles. The popu- 
lation at present is estimated at 40,315, an increase of ten per cent, over 
1910 census. 

The surface is smooth, even and almost level, drained by Pocomoke 
river and a number of small creeks and inlets. The soil is light loam with 
red clay subsoil, easily tilled, warm and productive. The area under culti- 
vation has considerably increased since 1910. The principal farm products 
are Irish and sweet potatoes, corn, onions, cabbage and strawberries, 







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One county in Virginia grew 12,000 acres in sweet potatoes, bemg rive per cent, of 
the sweet potato crop of the United States 



trucking being the leading industry. The majority of Accomac farms are 
in a high state of cultivation, with modern outbuildings and the necessary 
equipment to save labor. 

There is no county in the United States producing as many sweet pota- 
toes as Accomac, it yielding fully five per cent, of the whole of that crop in 
this country. And besides the millions of bushels of potatoes sold annually, 
there are abundant crops of onions, garden peas, snaps, cabbage and kale. 
The growth of large and small fruits is constantly increasing, bidding fair 
to become an important industry. 

The fish and oyster industry is probably more valuable and extensive 
than any other county of that section. Accomac furnishes seventy-five per 



84 Deyartinent of Agriculture 

cent, of all the soft crabs consumed in the United. States. Game in season 
of quality and quantity, together with fishing, makes this county a perfect 
paradise for sportsmen. It has been termed the "Hunter's Paradise." 

The manufacture of timber in Accomac is negligible, but a vast quan- 
tity of mine props is cut and shipped from the county every year. The New 
York, Philadelphia and Norfolk Railroad, a part of the Pennsylvania system, 
provides quick transportation to the various markets of the east and middle 
west, and the Baltimore, Chesapeake and Atlantic steamer line, touching 
various wharves on the western side of the county, affords good service ta 
Baltimore. 

There are six or more four-year High schools in the county and several 
two-year high schools. Every community has a grammar school. Churches 
are adequate, the Methodists and Baptists predominating, but Presbyterians 
and Episcopalians also have houses of worship. Road construction consists 
mainly of sand clay, with a few miles of waterbound macadam and shell 
roads through the larger towns. The. roads are in good condition. 

The incorporated towns in this county are: Onancock, Chincoteague, 
Parksley, "Wachapreague and Belle Haven, Onancock and Chincoteague being 
the largest. With the exception of Chincoteague, all are surrounded with 
prosperous farming sections, from which they draw most of their trade, 
being served by strong banks. Chincoteague is one of the principal fish and 
oyster towns along the Middle Atlantic, and this industry is also being con- 
ducted to a considerable extent at Wachapreague. The whole county is 
thickly dotted with villages, containing post office, general stores, school and 
one or more churches, within a radius of two or three miles of another. 

Accomac, a pretty village with an historical courthouse, is the county 
seat. Its records are very old and interesting. 

Accomac is among the best of Virginia counties \n almost everything 
that contributes to the development of a great and thriving rural community. 
Its natural advantages are equaled by few and surpassed by none. The 
climate is delightful — neither extreme of heat nor cold. Situated between the 
Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic, the air is cooled in suinmer and warmed 
in winter by these bodies of water. The Eastern Shore of "Virginia Produce 
Exchange, operating in Accomac and Northampton counties, is a splendid 
example of allied enterprise so essential in modern agriculture. Nowhere 
have intensive methods in cultivation and co-operation .in buying and selling 
been practiced with greater success than in Accomac. 

ALBEMARLE — Fifth in area of the one hundred Virginia counties and 
one of the oldest, Albemarle contains 756 square miles, with a population 
of 32,858, exclusive of the city of Charlottesville. It was carved out of Gooch- 
land in 1744, and then embraced the large territory included in Albemarle, 
Amhert, Fluvanna, Nelson, and portions of Appomattox, all of which coun- 
ties have been formed from its territory since. 

As to climate and soil, its location is most favorable, being geographically 
near the center of the State, with its western portion in the Blue Ridge 
region and its center in Piedmont, reaching into Midland Virginia. Its ex- 
tensive area, being at its greatest length about forty miles, and greatest 
width nearly thirty, gives scope for a diversity of soil and some difference 
in temperature. In the eastern section the soil is dark, rich red clay, famous 
for wheat, which has for generations been characterized as the "red wheat 
lands" of Albemarle. Excellent crops of corn, oats, alfalfa, and grasses of 
all kinds are produced. 

Albemarle is famous in the fruit section of the State. Considering the 
variety, abundance and excellence of its fruit, it. is doubtful if any part of 
the State surpasses it. The apples, peaches, pears and grapes of this section 
are remarkably fine. In fact, the foothills and slopes of the Blue Ridge, 
where the soil is lighter and grayish, are the natural home of the apple. 
The Albemarle Pippin, of rare flavor and excellent keeping qualities, which 
finds a most remunerative market abroad, is grown in abundance. Some of 
the most profitable peach orchards in Virginia are to be found in this 
county, and in some instances almost cover the eastern slopes of the Blue 



Hand Book of Virginia 85 

Ridge from base to summit, the warm exposure favoring a size and flavor 
that makes tlie Albemarle peach popular in every market it reaches, Staun- 
ton, Charlottesville, Lynchburg, and Washington competing vigorously for 
the trade, which becomes active early in the season. The market for Albe- 
marle fruit is facilitated by the cold-storage plants at Charlottesville and 
Crozet, and canning factories furnish an outlet for all surplus stock not 
suitable for packing and shipping. 

Nowhere in Virginia does grape production receive more attention than 
in this favored region, where the grape grows to a high degree of perfection 
and large fruitful vineyards are seen on every hand, furnishing through a 
long season large shipments to convenient city markets, to say nothing of 
the local demand by town, village and rail car fruit vendors. 

In the fine grass section of this county it is natural that much attention 
should be paid to stock raising. Many fine cattle find their way to the 
market from the grass fields of Albemarle. The raising of both beef and 
dairy cattle is increasing every year. With an abundance of feed hogs are 
profitably raised. The county is renowned for its beautiful horses. The 
finest blooded animals are raised and bring the best prices. Sheep raising 
is also a profitable industry, the long woolen breeds doing especially well 
on the luxuriant grasses of the Piedmont lands, and the finer wool breeds 
on the more mountainous, in the northern part of the county. Dairying is 
one of the most remunerative enterprises, with a ready market at the Char- 
lottesville creameries for either milk or butter fats. 

The varied mineral resources of Albemarle county are only partly de- 
veloped. Among the more important metallic ores may be mentioned those 
of iron, copper, lead, and zinc; and of the non-metallic, soapstone, slate, and 
graphite. Virginia ranks as one of the largest soapstone producing States, 
and the soapstone belt, beginning in Albemarle and extending southwestward 
into Nelson and beyond, practically composes the soapstone industry in 
Virginia. It is developed by many quarries and the output has developed 
an extensive industry very useful to the county. Encouraging occurrences 
of graphite are found in this county as well as deposits of slate. 

Few sections have better railroad transportation. The Chesapeake and 
Ohio, from west to east, straight through the county, the Southern from 
north to south, intersecting the former at Charlottesville, and the James 
River Division of the Chesapeake and Ohio, running along the southern 
border, afford, by their competing lines, the cheapest access for freight and 
passenger traffic in every available market. The county board of super- 
visors recently created the office of county road engineer, appointed by the 
United States government, which official has supervision of the construction 
of new highways and the maintenance of present roads. 

Church advantages are good, the leading Christian denominations being 
well represented throughout the county. The public school system invites 
comparison with any county in the State, with high schools located in the 
larger communities, and elementary and graded schools in the smaller com- 
munities, so located that every part of the county is accessible to good school 
advantages. The extensive Miller Manual Labor School — one of the greatest 
manual labor institutions in the country — with ample endowment, is located 
near Crozet. Manual labor in all its branches and agriculture are taught. 
The historical University of Virginia, situated on the northwestern edge of 
Charlottesville, was founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819 along the broadest 
and most advanced lines, and is to-day the leading southern university, 
with its illustrious alumni most active in affairs of our country, past and 
present. 

Crozet, on the main line of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, located 
in the center of one of the most famous fruit districts in the country, is 
one of the largest fruit shipping points in the State, the neighboring moun- 
tains and valleys being well adapted to the growing of peaches, apples, straw- 
berries, cherries, and other fruits, and these products have taken the prizes 
at our various large Expositions. The peaches grown here are fully the 
equal of the Georgia peach, and the October peach does not come in contact 
with other Southern peaches, ripening as it does after the others are gone. 




The Virginia Peach cannot be excelled in quality 



Hand Book oj Virginia 87 

Charlottesville, the county seat of Albemarle, Is situated about the geographi- 
cal center of the State. With a population of 12,000, this city is well en- 
dowed with superior advantages as a manufacturing locality as well as an 
educational center. "Monticello," the home of Thomas Jefferson, the author 
of the Declaration of Independence and the founder of the University of Vir- 
ginia, is located nearby. 

ALEXANDRIA — 'Alexandria county, situated in the extreme north- 
eastern part of the State, just across the Potomac river from the District 
of Columbia, embraces one of the earliest settled portions of the State. The 
distance in a direct line from the center of the county to the National Capitol 
is only five miles. The county is bounded on the northwest and southwest 
by Fairfax county, and on th'e northeast by the Potomac river. On an 
average it is about eight and a half miles long and three and a half miles 
wide, containing twenty-nine square miles, or 18,408 acres. It was originally 
a part of Fairfax county and was made a separate county in 1846, being 
named for its principal city, Alexandria. 

The surface is rolling. The slopes are gentle as a rule, but the streams 
usually have steep banks. The elevation varies from less than twenty feet 
at the Potomac river to about 440 feet at the highest point. The county is 
well drained by numerous small streams flowing into the Potomac river, of 
which Hunting creek, the southern boundary of Alexandria city, is worthy 
of special mention, as a beautiful body of water, fifteen or twenty feet in 
depth, and a safe harbor for vessels. 

The soil is especially fertile in the bottom lands along the streams and 
on the steep sides, and of average fertility on the moderate slopes. Farm 
products are corn, wheat, oats, rye, and potatoes, the latter being a very im- 
portant and profitable crop, both Irish and sweet. Fruits and vegetables of 
all varieties do well, and there is no section of the State more highly favored 
as a market for trucking, poultry and dairy products, which constitute an 
important industry to the county. This county may be classified as a region 
of suburban homes. It is not characteristically a farming region. Many of 
the old farms and estates have been cut up into small sub-divisions, but the 
close proximity to a favorable market makes intensive farming very remu- 
nerative. 

The most abundant trees are white, red and black oak, chestnut, tulip 
poplar, hickory, and scrub pine, the broadest distinction as to forest types 
being between pine and haixlwoods. Each exists distinct from the other and 
nowhere is there anything like an equal mixture of the two over a consid- 
erable area. Practically all the woodland in the county is second growth. 
The principal forest products at present are cord wood for fuel and pulp- 
wood. There is considerable tie and pole material in the county. There is 
excellent market for all wood products in the county, or in Washington and 
Georgetown, just across the river. 

Minerals are brownstone, soapstone and clay for brick-making. Sulphur 
and iron mineral water is found. The water power of Great and Little Falls 
of the Potomac is the finest in the State. 

Transportation facilities throughout the county are exceptionally good. 
There are two electric lines, the Washington and Virginian, and the Wash- 
ington and Old Dominion, both of which have three branches in the county, 
and both of which handle freight. The Southern Railway touches Alexan- 
dria city and crosses the eastern edge of the county along the Potomac. 
Practically the whole county is within one mile or less of rail transportation. 
Alexandria city is on the water and handles water shipping. The rural roads 
in general are very good. There is considerable macadam road throughout 
the county and the secondary roads are good and well maintained. 

Educational advantages are represented in a large number of public and 
private schools throughout the county and the very superior opportunities 
afforded in proximity to Washington. Churches, mail facilities and telephone 
service are first-class. 

Alexandria, the county seat, is the largest city, 24,000 population in city 
and suburbs. The town was incorporated in 1748, and George Washington, 



8S 



Department of Agriculture 



then only seventeen years old, assisted in surveying and sub-dividing tlie 
property. The city's history is closely interwoven v^^ith that of the State 
and nation. It is seven miles south of Washington, on the Potomac river. 
It is situated at a point where north and south actually meet. The great 
railway systems from the north converge in Alexandria, at this point con- 
necting with the main lines south and west. Five steamer lines run to 
Baltimore and Norfolk. As an evidence of the enormous traific handled 
through Alexandria, it is noted that six allied railroads have established in 
the suburbs of this city the Potomac Yards, one of the largest classification 
yards in the United States. This city has extensive manufactories, and it is 
evident that it is destined to be the workshop of the nation's capitol. 

Arlington, famous as having been the home of the Custis and Lee fami- 
lies, is situated in this county, a few miles above Alexandria. It was pur- 
chased by the national government, and a portion of it appropriated to a 
national cemetery. Upon this historic place are also located Fort Myer, 


















Sheep Husbandry is very profitable in Virginia 

where a large force of United States troops are stationed, and the National 
Experiment Station. Numerous villages, with handsome homes, are located 
along the electric roads in this county, notably, Clarendon, Ballston, Mt. Ida 
and Rosemont, the first two in the center and the last in the southern end 
of the county. 

Alexandria, as a suburban residence county with small acreages, offers 
exceptional advantages for the homeseeker. 



ALLiEGHANY — Alleghany county, adjoining West Virginia, lies in the 
Alleghany mountains, 124 miles from Richmond, at an altitude of 1,295 feet. 
This county was formed from Bath, Botetourt and Monroe in 1822. It is 
twenty-six miles long with a mean breadth of twenty nailes, containing 452 
square miles. The present population is estimated at 15,000. 

Sections of the county are of limestone formation and contain some of 
the best grazing land in Virginia. The county is watered and drained by 
the Jackson and Cow Pasture rivers, and other small streams, notably Potts 
and Dunlap creeks, which also furnish very superior water power. The 
climate is very healthful and invigorating, and in summer is delightful. 

The soil is a light, clay loam, very productive, especially on the water 



Hand Book of Virginia 89 

courses. The leading farm products are corn, oats, wheat, fruit and dairy 
products. Stock raising is a very important industry of this county by 
virtue of the fine grazing land already mentioned. There are many well 
cultivated farms in the fertile valleys of Alleghany on which an increasing 
amount of modern machinery is being used. In recent years the dairy in- 
dustry has increased and a goodly number of silos is in evidence. 

The iron and ore deposits of this county are very extensive and valuable, 
attracting the attention of capitalists who have invested largely in ore lands 
and in the erection of furnaces. Also, granite and cement limestone have 
been developed and hydraulic cement manufactured. Valuable timber — oak, 
hickory, poplar, pine, ash, and chestnut — contributes also to the county's 
resources. Game of all kinds is abundant, offering an inviting field for the 
sportsmen. 

Permanent improvement of the roads of the county was begun in 1913. 
$20,000 annually is expended for good roads. Fifty convicts have been 
worked on the roads for two years past, and an equal force will be employed 
during the next two years. Transportation facilities rendered by the Chesa- 
peake and Ohio traversing the county, connecting with the Warm Springs 
Branch at Covington, are adequate and satisfactory in handling the immense 
output of manufacturing operations. With churches, schools and news- 
papers the county is well supplied. 

Covington, the county seat, with a population of 5,456, is the center of 
a district rich in agricultural, timber and mineral resources. This fact 
combined with the satisfactory facilities already mentioned has produced 
an imposing array of manufacturing operations, among which are included 
one of the largest paper and pulp mills in the United States, a large steam 
tannery, a blast furnace, with a capacity of 150 tons of pig iron per day, 
machine shops, flour and lumber mills, etc. 

Clifton Forge, with a population of 7,000, an increase of 3,000 in ten 
years, on the main line of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, is the western 
terminus of the James River division of the same road. The elevation is 1,047 
feet. There is unlimited water power in the district around Clifton Forge. 
The town is the headquarters of one of the most important hydro-electric 
developments in this section. The company supplies a number of cities and 
industries with light and power. Already a potent factor in industrial de- 
velopment, it will be of immeasurable benefit when the vast timber and 
mineral resources of the section are appreciated as they should be by out- 
side capital. The industries of Clifton Forge include the Chesapeake and 
Ohio Railroad shops, an iron foundry, a patent mail box factory, a large 
lumber and planing mill, granite and marble works, flouring mills, etc. The 
surrounding mountains contain an immense quantity of timber and Clifton 
Forge offers unusual inducements for the manufacture of woodenware and 
furniture. 

Low Moor, three miles west of Clifton Forge, a community of some 2,000 
people, has a large iron furnace, and there is another iron furnace two miles 
east of Iron Gate, population of about 1,000. 

Thus it may be seen that no county in the State can boast of more thrifty 
growing towns, and a progressive agricultural spirit is manifested in several 
farmers' organizations. 

AMELIA — Located in the southeast central portion of the State, Amelia 
was formed from Prince George in 1734. This county lies on the south bank 
of the Appomattox river, twenty-seven miles southwest of Richmond, and is 
thirty miles long and ten miles wide, with an area of 371 square miles and 
altitude of 361 feet. The population estimated at present is 9,500, represent- 
ing a normal increase over 1910 census. 

The surface is undulating. The soil is chocolate, red clay and gray loam. 
In the eastern section the soil is light gray, mottled yellow and brown, de- 
rived from the beds of unconsolidated sand, clay, gravel and marl that 
compose the underlying rock. The soil of the higher plains, owing to the 
thorough oxidation of the iron it contains, is strikingly red. Other portions 
of the county show little diversity, perhaps three-fourths being gray or 



90 Department of Agriculture 

brownish-gray sandy loam of fine to medium texture. The clay loam occurs 
chiefly on the slopes bordering the larger streams. The soils are especially 
adapted to tobacco, wheat, corn, oats and hay. 

The county is drained and watered by the Appomattox river and its 
tributaries. Along the northern portion of the county this river is navigable 
to Petersburg. The county is also v/ell watered with freestone springs, and 
wells are to be had at an average depth of thirty feet, besides numerous 
springs with valuable mineral properties. 

The principal forest products are pine and oak lumber and railroad 
ties, which are marketed in large number. The timber industry is a very 
important one. The county is well provided with transportation, the South- 
ern Railway passing through the center and the Norfolk and Western near 
the southeastern border. There are fifty miles of improved roads and a 
progressive spirit is supporting both construction and maintenance. 

Some minerals of economic value occur in this area. North of the 
village of Amelia mica mines have been operated for many years. The mica 
is used for stove and furnace doors, insulating apparatus, etc. These mines 
have also produced some valuable rare minerals suitable for gems. The 
Amelia quadrangle is one of the most famous feldspar-producing areas in 
the United States. 

The county's progressive spirit is further manifested in the general 
condition of the farms, in recent developments in milling interests, can- 
neries, more extended markets for tobacco, large increase in dairying, active 
farmers' organizations, fine high schools and general improvement in ele- 
mentary schools. The leading denominations are well represented in 
churches. 

Amelia, the county seat, is the principal town. This is a wide-awake 
town, situated on the Southern Railway, with two strong banks, two large 
tobacco plants buying and packing tobacco for American and foreign markets, 
a large grist mill, planing mill, lumber mill, and the usual stores. 

Under good farming practices the soils of Amelia respond well. The 
climate is temperate — winters short and mild, summers free from extremes. 
Homeseexvers will find here a splendid section for general farming, stock 
raising and dairying under favorable conditions of location and transpor- 
tation. Newcomers have paid for their farms with the sales of crops in three 
years. Farms are being eagerly sought in this county. 

AMHERST — This county, a daughter of Albemarle, was made a sepa- 
rate county in 1761. James river skirts its whole southeast and southwest 
boundary for fifty miles, furnishing with Pedlar and Buffalo rivers, and 
extent of broad and fertile bottom lands of which few counties in the State can 
boast. The altitude is 629 feet. The county has a length of twenty-two 
miles and a mean width of nineteen, while its area is 4G4 square miles, and 
its population by the census of 1910, 18,932, with an estimated increase of 
ten per cent. 

The crops raised are principally tobacco, corn and wheat, while the 
soil is well adapted to oats and grass. But tobacco may be regarded as the 
principal money crop. It is of fine weight and texture, bringing profitable 
returns to the growers. The red lands along the valley of the Blue Ridge 
and Tobacco Row mountains are very fine, easily cultivated and retentive 
of farm manures, producing finely clover, timothy and orchard grass, follow- 
ing tobacco and wheat. 

While Amherst is among the leading agricultural counties in the State, 
it is rapidly advancing to the front as a fruit section, yielding the popular 
commercial varieties, the winesap and celebrated Albemarle Pippin succeed- 
ing admirably. The eastern slopes of the mountains are favorable to the 
culture of grapes, the vine fiourishing and yielding kindly to proper culture. 

There is considerable grazing of cattle on the indigeous grass of the 
mountains by stockmen, who buy elsewhere and bring to this section where 
they can be cheaply kept. This is quite a business in Amherst. 

The timber industry is profitable in this county, forest products bein? 
oak, hickory, pine, walnut, chestnut and locust. Immense and valuable out- 



Hand Booh of ^^irghiia 



i)l 



puts of minerals are noted, such as magnetic and specular iron, well suited 
for the manufacture of steel by the Bessemer process. The celebrated soap- 
stcne vein through Albemarle and Nelson extends through Amherst, and is 
valuable, lying between the Southern and Chesapeake and Ohio railways, 
about five miles from each. 

Some years ago Amherst took the lead in improved reads. She has a 
considerable mileage of improved roads, some of the best macadam and sand- 
clay roads in the State leading out from Lynchburg. Transportation facili- 
ties are furnished by the Southern Railway, which penetrates the county 
from north to south, and the James River division of the Chesapeake and 
Ohio on the northeast and southwest. 

Church and school privileges are not neglected. In fact, one of the 
finest equipped colleges for women in the South, known as Sweet Briar 




The excellent flavor of Virginia apples has created a demand 
far beyond her borders 



College, is located on a grand old estate, two niiles from Amherst Court- 
house and twelve miles from Lynchburg, on the Southern Railway. It is the 
result of an endowment of $800,000 in money and land, and Avas opened in 1906 
with brilliant prospects of success which succeeding years have fully realized. 
The public school system is ample and efficiently maintained. 

Amherst, the county seat, located on the Southern Railway, fourteen 
miles from Lynchburg, is an attractive little town with enterprising citizens. 
It has two papers, two banks, a high school, stores, and many attractive 
homes. 



92 



Department of Agriculture 



The climate, soil and market conditions in this county are ideal for 
general farming, fruit growing and dairying, further favored by proximity 
to the Lynchburg market. 

APPOMATTOX — This historic county was formed in 1845 from the 
neighboring counties of Buckingham, Campbell, Prince Edward and Char- 
lotte. It is about sixty-flve miles air line, 100 miles by rail, from Richmond. 
The county is twenty-six miles long and eighteen miles wide, with an area 
of 342 square miles, and a population by the last United States census of 
8,904. The average altitude is 825 feet 

The county is well watered by the James river, forming its northwestern 
boundary, and its tributaries; by the Appomattox and its tributaries, and by 
some of the tributaries of the Staunton river. The surface is generally roll- 




No Stafe produces finer clover hay than Virginia 



ing, and even hilly in many portions, though there is a large proportion of 
bottom land along the rivers and creeks, which water the county well and 
furnish ample water power which is utilized to considerable extent by grist 
mills and saw mills. But there is much of the finest water power yet unde- 
veloped. The county, as a whole, is the first level county east of the Blue 
Ridge. 

The soil is varied, consisting of stiff red clay, easily improved and re- 
sponding well to the use of fertilizer and practical scientific cultivation. It is 
similar in character to the famous red wheat lands of Albemarle. There is 
also much gray, light and friable slate soil, and the bottoms are rich and pro- 
ductive. Tobacco, wheat and corn are the leading crops. Grass and hay are 
very profitable. Stock, fruit and vegetables do well here. Stock raising and 
dairying have increased largely in the last few years. 

Oak, hickory, walnut, chestnut and maple timber abound and are being 
profitably manufactured. 

Transportation facilities are furnished by the Norfolk and Western 
Railway traversing the county, and rural roads receiving more attention 



Rand Book of Virginia 93 

each year. A fair quantity of gray soil suitable for construction is found 
in many sections of the county. 

Educational advantages are good and church opportunities are ample. 
Vocational agriculture is taught in the Appomattox High School. 

Appomattox, the county seat, on the Norfolk and Western Railway, about 
twenty-five miles from Lynchburg and thirty-five miles from Farmville, is a 
prosperous town of 1,000 inhabitants, with two live newspapers, bank, good 
hotels, prosperous stores, progressive business interests — tobacco warehouses, 
manufacturing, etc. — and handsome residences. A fine agricultural high 
school is located here. 

Pamplin is another town of importance, located on the Norfolk and West- 
ern Railway, in a prosperous section, served by its bank with total resources 
of $160,069.39. 

Three miles northeast of the county seat is Old Appomattox Courthouse, 
where General Robert E. Lee surrendered, April 9, 1865, the depleted remnant 
of the Confederate Army to overwhelming Federal forces under General 
Grant, thus making this one of the most famous spots in the country, ranking 
with Yorktown, where Lord Cornwallis surrendered to General Washington, 
October 19, 1781. The Federal authorities have added greatly to the attrac- 
tiveness of the "Surrender Ground," which embraces several hundred acres, 
by placing enduring metal tablets at various notable points, such as Lee's 
headquarters. Grant's headquarters, the traditional apple tree and the place 
where the old McLean house, in which the surrender took place, stood, now 
a ruin, as well as most of the houses in the old village. The Confederates 
have placed on the grounds two handsome monuments, one by Virginians, 
the other by North Carolinians. 

Today this historic county offers good opportunities to the homeseeker 
for general farming, stock raising and dairying. Farmers organizations are 
active in stimulating improved methods. Progress is manifested in all phases 
of farm life. Marked interest in soil improvement is noted- — there is more 
alfalfa, more grass, more live stock farming. 

AUGUSTA — This county was formed from Orange in 1738. It is situated 
near the head of the Shenandoah Valley, thirty-five miles long and thirty 
wide, and contains 1,012 square miles, being the second largest county in 
the State, with the Blue Ridge on the east and the Shenandoah range of 
the Alleghany on the west. The average size farm is 175 acres, and the 
aggregate value of real estate exceeds that of any other county in the State. 
Population at present is estimated to be 35,689. 

The climate is mild during both winter and summer, the temperature 
seldom going as low as zero in winter or above ninety degrees in summer. 
Even during the hottest weather of summer the nights are always de- 
lightful and cool due to the surrounding mountains. The altitude is from 
1,200 to 1,500 feet. The scenic beauty of the county as well as the health- 
ful climate attract many summer visitors. Among many points of inter- 
est are Weyers Cave, the Natural Chimneys, and Elliot Knob of the North 
mountains, 4,437 feet high, ranking among the highest points in Virginia. 
The rainfall of the county is about forty inches, well distributed through- 
out the growing season. 

The farming land of this county is a well drained, rolling, limestone 
soil, very productive, yielding large crops of wheat, hay, corn, fruit, and 
grasses — natural and cultivated. Approximately one-half of the county is 
improved farm land. The eastern and western sections are uneven and 
mountainous, the central portion undulating. Augusta ranks at the head 
of the list of counties of the State in the production of wheat. It is also 
noted for the number and superior quality of its flouring mills. 

Stock raising is one of the most profitable and important industries. 
The unimproved land on the foothills of the bordering mountains, with a 
considerable acreage of rich blue grass, furnishes an abundance of pasture 
for thousands of beef cattle and sheep. There has been a great improve- 
ment in the quality of beef cattle in the past few years. Many herds of 
registered Shorthorns, Heresford and Angus cattle have been introduced. 



Hand Bool' of Yirginid 95 

There is a very active Shorthorn breeders' association in this county, which 
had a sale at the last county fair, many registered animals of exceptional 
breeding being sold for handsome sums. 

The dairy industry has greatly increased. There are three successful 
creameries in the county, and three others that draw a part of their sup- 
plies from its borders. There are Holstein and Guernsey breeders' asso- 
ciations in the county, both of which are very active in introducing better 
dairy cows. The raising of hogs receives considerable attention, and 
there are excellent draft horses on every farm. 

Augusta is one of the leading fruit counties in the famous Fruit 
Belt of Virginia. In color, quality and flavor, the apple of this section is 
unexcelled. Augusta county exhibit of apples has for two years in succes- 
sion won the "Sweepstakes" cup at the International Apple Shippers' Show. 
The apple and peach growers of this county are very progressive, there 
being a county Horticultural Society and a Co-operative Selling Associa- 
tion. 

Mineral deposits of iron, manganesem slate, marble and limestone 
found in many parts of the county, are a source of considerable wealth. 
The plant, owned and operated by the State, for crushing limestone rock 
is located near Staunton. 

Of its 1,200 miles of roads about one-sixth are tar-macadam. The 
road system is in charge of a road engineer. The Valley pike, a well-kept 
macadam road between Staunton and Winchester, a distance of ninety 
miles, is equal to any road in the State. The farm homes along the 
beautiful pikes and highways are very attractive and bespeak the pros- 
perity and thrift of the people. Native timber supplies a large per cent, 
of the lumber needs. Three railroads furnish excellent transportation. 

Churches and schools are of unusual numljcr and convonienriy lo- 
cated. There are excellent seminaries for girls, three mil^rt-ry academies, 
two business colleges, fourteen high schools throughout the county te tching 
agriculture, and an Agricultural Experiment Station. 

The county seat is Staunton, a city of 10,000 inhabitants and one of 
the most beautiful resident cities of the State. It has a large flour mill, 
coat factory, cold storage, organ factoi'y. and numerous smaller indus- 
tries. There are two State institutions: The Western State Hospital for 
Insane and The Deaf-Dumb and Blind Institute. This city has the dis- 
tinction of being the birth place of President Woodrow Wilson. 

Waynesboro is an important business town for a very rich and enter- 
prising section, having excellent banks and prosperous manufactories. It 
has large and commodious churches of the leading denominations and ex- 
cellent schools, being the seat of Fishburne Military Academy. As a sum- 
mer resort it attracts many visitors annually. 

Other towns are Fordwick, at which is located the five million dollar 
Portland Cement Works, Craigsville, Basic, Greenville, Stuarts Draft, Cave 
Station, and Churchville. 

In progressive agriculture Augusta farmers are among the first in the 
State. There are about fifteen farmers' clubs, united together in a county- 
wide organization, to promote both business and rural improvement, and 
high crop yields testify to material benefits therefrom. The county is 
served by twelve banks. 

BATH — This county located on the western border of the State, 120 
miles northwest of Richmond, was organized in 1790, from parts of Au- 
gusta, Botetourt and Greenbrier counties. Its mean altitude is 2,195 feet, 
and area, 548 square miles. The population by census 1910 was 6,538. 

A portion of the county is mountainous, the rich bottom lands of the 
balance being very fertile, though small in area, and well watered by 
numerous springs and Cow Pasture and Jackson rivers. Its industries 
are chiefly farming, grazing and forest product enterprises, the leading 
agricultural products being hay, corn, wheat and oats. Fruit culture is 
also important and profitable, embracing apples, peaches, pears, plums, 



Hand Booh of Virginia 97 

etc. Large apple and peach orchards abound of increasing size and num- 
ber. Ready home markets at good prices prevail. 

The grazing facilities of Bath county are unexcelled. The majority of 
the lands take naturally to grass. In most sections clearing away the 
timber is all that is necessary to secure a sod. The sunshine given full 
play, the grasses spring up without further attention; and in the woods 
there is a rich growth of wild grasses and other wild growth on which 
cattle and sheep do well for six months of the year. When they come 
from the mountain ranges, as they are called, without any cost other than 
salting them, they are fat and ready for the market. 

Bath lies in the iron ore belt west of the Blue Ridge but this ore has 
not been developed. Fossil ore with a thickness of tvro feet is reported in 
the valley east of Warm Springs. Timber is abundant in regions remote 
from the railroads. There are large and valuable bodies of pine, oak, 
poplar and hickory timber. There is scarcely a section of the county with- 
out one or more steam sawmills in operation. 

The Chesapeake and Ohio (main line) runs along the southeastern 
border of this county, a branch line penetrating the interior to Hot Springs. 
Rural roads and bridges are kept in good repair. 

Bath is famous for its fine health resorts and mineral springs of won- 
derful medicinal and curative properties. The most widely known are 
Warm Springs, the county seat; the Hot Springs, five miles south of the 
Warm Springs; Bath Alum, five miles east of Warm Springs; Millboro 
Springs, twelve miles east of the Warm Springs and two miles from Mill- 
boro Depot; Walla-Watoola, one mile south of Millboro Springs, and Bolar 
Springs, seventeen miles east of Warm Springs. Great numbers of visi- 
tors resort to these springs in the summer time and to the Virginia Hot 
Springs all the year round, bringing into the county and distributing much 
ready money for supplies. The climate and scenery of this section are 
unsurpassed. Reference to the Weather Bureau reports of the United 
States show this county to possess a very equable temperature of neither 
very great extremes of heat nor cold and ample rainfall well distributed. 

Such favored natural resources and attractions enhanced by the sterl- 
ing qualities of a Scotch-Irish descent people need no further advertisement 
to those seeking desirable locations in Virginia. 

BEDFORD — This county was formed in 17.53 from Lunenburg and 
lies at the eastern base of the Blue Ridge mountains, in the southwest cen- 
tral part of the State, 100 miles southwest of Richmond. It is one of the 
largest counties of the State, being forty miles long and about thirty miles 
wide, containing an area of 729 square miles, with an average altitude of 
900 feet. Population 32,049. 

The surface is broken, and, in western portion, mountainous, but very 
productive, well watered by springs, brooks and creeks, with Otter river 
in center, and the James and Staunton rivers on noi'theast and southwest 
borders. The soil is red clay and light gray or slate, producing abundant 
crops of wheat, corn, rye, oats, tobacco, and tomatoes. The latter crop is a 
recent and lucrative agricultural development. Tobacco is probably the 
most profitable industry of the county. In the mountainous sections blue- 
grass is indigenous, affording excellent grazing facilities. The dairy in- 
terest is of considerable importance and is showing some increase. Fruit 
is also worthy of special mention. Bedford may be classed as one of the 
fine fruit counties of the State, the mountainous portions being especially 
adapted to fruit of all kinds. 

Forest products are valuable and extensive, embracing walnut, chestnut, 
hickory, pine, poplar, locust and oak, the timber interests being engaged 
in the manufacture of lumber, fire and pulp wood, chestnut wood and 
bark which are rather important in the southern part of the county. 
Transportation facilities are afforded by the Norfolk and Western Rail- 
way through the center and the Virginian Railway across the southern 
part of the county. 

The climate is mild and healthful, attracting large numbers of visitors 



98 Department of Agriculture 

from the South, spending their summers at the various hotels and resorts 
open each season for the accommodation of guests. The celebrated Peaks 
of Otter, noted for sublime, picturesque scenery, are located in this coun- 
ty, a few miles from Bedford City, the county seat. The Peaks have an 
altitude of 4,001 feet above sea level, and can be seen, under favorable 
conditions of atmosphere, from beyond Lynchburg, fifty-five miles distant. 

Bedford is one of the richest, most productive and thickly settled 
counties in the James River Valley. The farms are reported in good, con- 
dition at present. The best methods of soil improvement are in practice. 
The farmers are organized for co-operative buying of seeds and fertilizers. 
Mileage of improved roads is increasing, both macadam and sand-clay. 
Educational advantages are afforded by excellent high schools and private 
academies. Church opportunities are good. A progressive, community 
spirit is manifested in a Farmers' Union and the support of both an agri- 
cultural and home demonstration agent. 

Bedford, the county seat, on the Norfolk and Western Railway, is 
located near the center of the county, and surrounded by a beautiful, pic- 
turesque section of country. This town has a population of 3,500. Its 
industrial development is manifested in tobacco warehouses, canneries, a 
can factory, tobacco factory, woolen mills, flour mill, and a wholesale 
grocery. School advantages, public and private, are excellent. Randolph- 
Macon Academy is located here. 

BIjAND — This county was formed in 1861 from Wythe, Giles and 
Tazewell, and is located in the southwestern part of the State, 195 miles 
southwest of Richmond. It contains an area of 352 square miles, with a 
population of 5,654, an estimated increase of 500 since 1910 census. 

The surface is broken and mountainous to considerable extent. The 
soil is a black loam and reddish clay, very productive and well adapted to 
the usual farm products of this section, corn, wheat, oats, grasses. Blue- 
grass is indigenous to this section, consequently stock raising is the 
most profitable industry, especially cattle and sheep, large numbers of 
which are of fine quality and are shipped annually to the large markets, 
or sold to dealers who come into the county to buy. The county is also 
well adapted to fruits of all kinds. 

The timbers of Bland county abound in large quantities and are of 
exceptionally fine quality, including walnut, poplar, pine, oak, ash, hem- 
lock, sugar tree, hickory and beech. The manufacture of timber is an 
important industry- — large quantities of stave timber, tan bark, and all 
classes of timber. There are valuable mineral deposits in this section, 
consisting of iron, coal, lead, zinc, copper, manganese, slate, kaolin, ochre, 
barytes, and coal is also found and mined. 

No more healthful section of the country is to be found. Mineral 
springs are numerous and of fine medicinal quality. Some have been im- 
proved and opened to summer visitors. Sharon Springs is a delightful 
resort, 2,850 feet above the sea level, with a climate unexcelled, dry and 
exhilarating, with an abundance of clear, pure water — limestone and free- 
stone. Bland is an Eldorado for the sportsman with its abundance of 
game and streams abounding with fish, embracing tha noted mountain 
trout. 

The general condition of the farms in this county is good, having 
shown very marked improvement within the past decade. The roads are 
in fairly good condition with about eighty miles of turnpike. Agricultural 
and industrial development has been greatly augmented by the recent 
building of the New River, Holston and Western Railroad into the in- 
terior of this county. Acreage under cultivation has increased at least 
ten per cent. Large deposits of manganese have been recently discovered 
and are being worked. A Farmers' Union is active. Educational and 
church advantages are good. 

Seddon, the county seat, located near the center, has a flourishing mill, 
high school, newspaper and two churches. It is centrally aud conveniently 
located, with good turnpike roads, diverging north and south. 



Hand Book of Virginid 



99 



BOTETOURT — This county named in honor of Lord Botetourt, Gov- 
ernor of the Colony in 176S, was formed in 1770 from Augusta, extending 
at the time of formation to the Mississippi river. Its present limits are 
forty-flve miles long and eighteen miles wide, situated between the Blue 
Ridge and Alleghany mountains, in the western part of the State, 115 
miles west of Richmond, at an altitude of 1,250 feet. The area of the coun- 
ty is 548 square miles, with a population of 18,000. 

The surface is rolling and partly mountainous, containing a beautiful 
valley in the central portion which is very fertile. The soil is a loam with 
clay subsoil, and is well adapted to the production of grain, grasses, tobacco 
and fruit, the mountain ranges affording excellent pasturage for horses, 
cattle and sheep, of which superior breeds are raised. The fine bluegrass 
sod, to which the land runs naturally, renders dairying an important indus- 




One county sold $1,000,000 worth of canned products in one year 



try. Tobacco is also produced to some extent, and of superior quality, but 
fruit and vegetable culture, to which this county is especially adapted, is its 
most important industry, bringing to the county large revenues. 

This is the foremost canning county in the State, and stands near the 
head of the list in the United States in that industry, tomatoes being the 
chief product. The immense product of this enterprise is shipped to dis- 
tant markets in carloads. 

Practically the entire county is adapted to fruit growing, especially 
apples. The principal apple growing sections at present are in the vicinity 
of Troutville, Cloverdale, Haymakertown and Blue Ridge Springs, but there 
are sufficient commercial orchards in other sections to prove the adaptabil- 
ity of the whole county to profitable apple production. Extensive orchards 
are being planted, and in a few years it is confidently predicted that Bote- 
tourt will be entitled to rank among the largest apple producing counties 
•of the State. 



100 Departmeni of Agriculture 

The manufacture of timber is not an important industry; however, 
forest products native to this section of the State abound, and the sale of 
extract wood is important in some sections. 

The county is intersected by a road system aggregating 600 miles, 
thirty-six miles of which is macadam, with twenty miles additional under 
construction. Limestone suitable for road construction purposes is abun- 
dant and very well distributed. The county is traversed by the Valley 
National highway. Rail transportation is furnished by the Norfolk and 
Western and Chesapeake and Ohio Railroads, with their branches, which 
extend through the length and breadth of the county, affording easy and 
ready access to all the principal markets, so essential to this county with 
its large commercial enterprises. 

The county is well watered by the James and its numerous tributaries, 
also Cow Pasture and Jackson rivers, which afford superior waterpower. 

Educational advantages are excellent. There are two accredited high 
schools, two other high schools, and numerous two and three-room schools, 
and churches are conveniently located. 

Recent agricultural and industrial developments are reflected through- 
out this county in the improved general condition of the farms — good build- 
ings, machinery and stock the rule; a large increase in dairying, several 
■up-to-date sanitary dairy stables, many farms having silos; the erection 
of a large tin can factory at Buchanan; well developed iron mine at Lig- 
nite; iron mine and blast furnace at Glen Wilton; several lime-burning 
and crushing plants at Eagle Rock; lime quarries at Buchanan and Rocky 
Point, and lime kilns at Indian Rock. 

The principal towns are Buchanan, Fincastle and Troutville. Buc- 
hanan, the largest town, with a population of 800, has a large tin can fac- 
tory, lime quarries, a bank, with resources aggregating $213,124.05, and Is 
an agricultural center. Fincastle, the county seat, with a population of 
600, is an agricultural center, with numerous canning factories and a 
bank with total resources aggregating $292,925.78. Troutville, a town of 
about 150 people is an important shipping point. Eagle Rock, important 
for its lime industry, is served by a bank having total resources of $280,- 
650.97. Cloverdale is also an important shipping point. 

There are some striking features to attract the homeseeker and in- 
vestor to Botetourt. The county is very advantageously located; the alti- 
tude insures pleasant summers and mild winters. Proximity to Roanoke, 
a city of 50,000 inhabitants, insures excellent market for all farm pro- 
ducts. A progressive spirit animates the farmers who are well organized 
into three Farmers Co-operative Associations for buying and selling, and a 
Farm Demonstrator is active in promoting the practice of modern methods 
for better yields and better quality. 

BRUNSWICK — Situated about fifty miles from Richmond and bordering 
on the North Carolina line is Brunswick, one of the leading agricultural 
counties in Virginia. It was Brunswick which took the first prize at the 
Jamestown Exposition for having the best county agricultural exhibit, and 
it was of this county that the then Governor of Virginia said, "It produces a 
greater variety of crops than any other in the State.'' The county has an 
area of 557 square miles, with a population of 20,000. 

The concurrent causes placing Brunswick foremost among her sister 
counties are many: Her lands are naturally rich and respond readily; the 
climate is ideal for agricultural purposes; and her people are without equal 
for industry and thrift. The principal market crops of this county are tobac- 
co, wheat, oats, corn, peanuts and cotton. The soil is well adapted to the 
growth of the grasses, and considerable hay is grown by farmers for their 
own consumption. The interest in dairying has very much increased, and a 
number of farmers are now shipping cream to the cities of Richmond and 
Norfolk. There is great demand here for dairy cows. Fruits and vegetables 
grow in profusion. 

The principal timbers of the county are pine, oak, hickory, gum and 
ash. The manufacture of timber is an important industry, Kress and Alberta 
being the sites of large lumber plants. 



Hand Booh of Yirgmia 101 

Transportation facilities are excellent. The Southern and Virginian 
Railways traverse the county from east to west, and tne Seaboard Air Line 
from north to south. Brunswick has over two hundred miles of improved 
roads, and when present surveys are constructed, its road system will be 
very complete. The county has built also a large numoer of modern bridges, 
which were paid for out of the general county fund. 

A progressive agricultural spirit is exhibited in Farmers' Unions, Boys' 
Corn Clubs and Girls' Canning Clubs. Schools are so located that every child 
of school age has an opportunity to attend. There are a number of High 
Schools throughout the county which are well conducted in well equipped 
buildings. Churches of the leading denominations are also well located. 

There are three incorporated towns in the county. Lawrenceville, Alber- 
ta and Brodnax. 

Lawrenceville, the county seat, with a population of 2.500, has a good 
electric light plant, good water works, a good telephone system, and two 
banks with aggregate resources of |595,535.51. This town with its splendid 
stores, excellent banking facilities and marketing advantages adds materially 
to the comfort, convenience and pleasure of agricultural life in the county. 
The Southern Railway Shops (repair shops) are located here. 

Alberta and Brodnax have each a population of about 300. A large lum- 
ber manufacturing plant is located at Alberta, on the Seaboard Air Line Rail- 
road. Kress has a population of about 300 where another large lumber manu- 
facturing plant is located'. 

Recent reports show marked improvement in the general condition of 
the farms. More interest is manifested in crop cultivation along modern 
methods. The land is better prepared and greater yields to the acre are re- 
sulting. A Farm Demonstrator is active in the county, and a general spirit 
of progress prevails. 

BUCHAXAX — Named in honor of President Buchanan, this county was 
formed in 1858 from Russell and Tazewell. Located in Southwest Virginia it 
is one of the extreme border counties of the State, 250 miles southwest of 
Richmond. . The county contains 507 square miles, according to the most re- 
cent maps of the Federal and State geological surveys. The population in 
1910 was 12,334, all white. 

The surface of the entire county is rugged and has many of the features 
of mountains. Flat lands even a few acres in extent are rare, and valley 
slopes, though not precipitous, are very steep. The maximum relief of the 
county is 2,890 feet. The principal occupation of the people is farming and 
lumbering. Farm products arc corn, v,iieat, rye, oats, potatoes, buckwheat, 
hay and sorghum. Fruits of all kinds do well, especially grapes, but they 
are only grown for home consumption. Stock raising and dairying are 
sources of some revenue. 

Except for clearings, the aggregate area of which is comparatively small, 
the whole region is covered with dense forests filled with undergrowth. 
These forests have been a very important source of revenue and still contain 
many large and valuable trees, the most valuable of which are oak, poplar, 
ash and walnut. There are lumber mills at Hurley, Blackey, Kelsa and 
Whitewood, and they are centers for the lumbering industry. Logs cut in 
the southern part of the Russell Fork basin are hauled across Sandy Ridge 
to a large mill at Honaker. 

The potential value of the coal resources of this region is great. The 
county lies on the southeast border of the central part of the great Appala- 
chian coal field and contains about 12,000,000,000 tons of high-grade, coking, 
bituminous coal in beds of minable thickness, but practically no Buchanan 
county coal has ever been mined for other than local consumption. The 
explanation lies in the lack of transportation facilities, a lack which could 
be remedied without great difficult. Great quantities of coal are mined 
annually from adjacent territory, and activities will soon overcome physical 
difficulties in Buchanan. 



Band Booh of Yirginia 103 



All the drainage of the county is tributary to Big Sandy river through 
its three main branches — Russell Fork, Levisa Fork and Tug Fork. None 
of the streams has a very large flow. Even row boats have trouble in navi- 
gating Levisa and Tug Forks, the largest streams, for any considerable dis- 
tance. There are only three wagon bridges in the county, but there are 
many fairly easy fords on every stream. The rainfall is greater than in 
most parts of the United States, but the sandy soil, dense growth of trees 
and brush and high stream gradients prevent floods. 

The only railroads in the county are used primarily in the lumbering 
industry, though they also carry general freight. One logging railroad con- 
nects Honaker, on the Clinch Valley Division of the Norfolk and Western, 
with the upper part of the Russell Fork basin. Another runs from Doran, 
on the same division, to Whitewood and points farther down. A third con- 
nects Devon, on the main line of the Norfolk and Western, with points on 
Knox and Slate creeks, operating a regular freight and passenger service 
between Devon and Matney. None of these roads could now carry the traffic 
that would be the result of large coal mining operations, but all could be 
converted into coal carriers by constructing tunnels under the divides, by 
otherwise decreasing the worst grades, and by improving road beds. It 
would not entail prohibitive expense to connect any part of the region with 
trunk lines now operating in all adjoining counties. 

Wagon roads are rocky and very steep in, places, and most of them are 
in the valleys. Most travel is on horseback; bridle paths are plentiful. Auto- 
mobiles have been introduced recently on the main roads. 

Mineral waters are found to some extent in this county, the most im- 
portant of which are the Healing Springs. Educational advantages consists 
of the usual free schools. As to churches, mail facilities, financial condition, 
progress and improvements, the condition of this county is favorable. The 
climate, owing to elevation, is moist and cool. The weather station at Free- 
ling reports the average temperature 52.4 degrees; rainfall 60.1. 

Grundy, the county seat, situated near the center of the county, on a 
narrow gauge road connecting with the Norfolk and Western at Devon, 
West Virginia, has a population of 250 people, several churches, mills, fac- 
tories and schools. 

This county may accurately be styled "undeveloped." The entire sur- 
face is underlain with valuable coal deposits. The total stand of merchant- 
able timber is estimated to be 600 million board feet. With protection from 
fires and conservative cutting, the lumber industry can be made a perma- 
nent business. Sufficient crops may be grown in the small clearings for 
local needs. There are splendid opportunities for wood-using industries, 
none being in operation at present. 

BUCKINGHAM — This county is located in the central part of the State, 
on the south side of the James river, about half way between Richmond and 
Lynchburg, and distant from each about fifty miles. It is thirty-five miles 
long and twenty-four miles wide, containing an area of 552 square miles. 
The altitude is 550 feet. The county was originally a portion of Albemarle, 
from which it was detached and formed into a county in 1761. The popu- 
lation is 15,204, showing a slight increase over 1910 census. 

The surface is generally level, with a large acreage of bottom land on 
the rivers, but rolling and hilly in some parts. The soil is a gray and black 
loa:m, with red clay subsoil, which produces abundantly when brought to 
a high state of fertility. There is a strip of black land from four to six 
miles wide extending across the western portion of the county, which, under 
the old regime before the war, was in a high state of improvement and was 
considered the garden spot of Buckingham. 

The leading farm products are tobacco, wheat and corn. Oats, hay, rye 
and buckwheat are also grown. This county produces large quantities of 
tobacco — the dark, shipping variety — which is in good demand for English, 
American and Italian markets. Wheat in the clay lands produces abund- 
antly, yielding as much as thirty bushels to the acre, the average yield being 
from ten to fifteen bushels per acre. Fruits and vegetables are in abund- 



Hand Booh of Virginia 105 

ance — apples, peaches, pears, plums, grapes, strawberries, melons, potatoes, 
garden vegetables, etc. 

There are excellent opportunities for stock raising; grazing facilities 
are good. There has been some increase in dairying, and cattle and sheep 
do well. 

The timber lands include the usual varieties for this section— oak, pop- 
lar, walnut, pine, hickory, chestnut, maples, etc., a large quantity of which 
is sawed and marketed. 

This county is rich in minerals — copper, iron, gold, silver, slate, taarytes, 
mica, limestone, soapstone, and asbestos. Her slate industry has no equal 
in America. 

Buckingham has developed considerably in road improvement. Rail 
transportation is furnished by the James River Division of the Chesapeake 
and Ohio Railway on the north and a branch of the Chesapeake and Ohio 
extending from New Canton on this division to the center of the county. 

Dillwyn is a thriving town of 500 people, with a large lumber industry. 
Arvonia is a growing town, employing a large number of men in the slate 
mines operated near that place with a rapidly increasing output. Bucking- 
ham Courthouse, a thriving village, is the county seat 

Buckingham county has exhibited general improvement in home and 
farming conditions during the past five years. There is a live farmers' or- 
ganization in the county with some four hundred members. It is among 
the best organized counties in the State. A wide-awake county paper largely 
devoted to the promotion of agriculture is published at Dillwyn. Schools 
and churches are well distributed over the county and are yearly develop- 
ing in efficiency. The county is served by two banks, located at Dillwyn 
and Arvonia, with total resources of $223,198.61. Buckingham is entitled 
to rank among Virginia's rapidly developing counties, 

CAMPBELL — This county, formed in 1781 from Bedford, and named 
for General William Campbell, a Revolutionary officer, is situated in the 
south central part of the State, five hours ride from Washington, six from 
Baltimore, and distant from Richmond, by rail. 140 miles. 

It is nearly a square, being twenty-five miles each way, and contains 554 
square miles. The population shows an increase over 1910 census and is 
estimated at 24.000. 

The surface is rolling and hilly; the soil, red clay in the northern part, 
sandy in the southern, and very fertile, with fine facilities for natural drain- 
age into the James, Staunton, Otter, and Big and Little Falling rivers. 
While a great variety of crops are found, the leading farm products are corn, 
wheat and tobacco, the improved lands producing from fifteen to thirty 
bushels of wheat and from fifty to seventy-five bushels of corn per acre. The 
annual production of tobacco is large and of excellent quality, the raising 
of bright tobacco having developed greatly in the last few years. The 
grasses, such as red clover, orchard and timothy, grow well, and with proper 
management produce abundant crops of hay. Conditions for stock raising 
are most favorable and this industry as well as dairying should become very 
profitable. The climate and soil especially favor sheep husbandry. 

The county is especially adapted to fruit of various kinds — apples, 
peaches, pears, plums, cherries, berries, melons, grapes. Peaches are noted 
for their flavor, size and quality. Vegetables and dairy products are a con- 
siderable source of revenue with the favorable circumstances of a nearby 
market and excellent transportation to those more distant. 

Pine, oak and poplar are conspicuous among forest products, A con- 
siderable amount of chestnut wood and tan bark is marketed. Iron ore, 
manganese, barytes are the most important and valuable minerals; the last 
two being developed to some extent. 

The county is well supplied with rail transportation, via four railroads — 
the Southern, north and south, the Norfolk and Western and Chesapeake 
and Ohio, east and west, and the Lynchburg and Durham, south, all lines 
having connection at Lynchburg, on the northern border, and combining to 
give the county and city superior market facilities in every direction. 



106 Department of Agriculture 

Bituminous macadam construction has been adopted as the ruling form of 
road. 

Rustburg, the county seat, situated near the center of the county, has 
a population of 350. Other towns are Concord, population 300; Brookneal, 
1,000; AltaVista, 1,200; Evington, 200; Gladys, 200, and Leesville, 100. Re- 
cent industrial developments are a large cotton mill, cedar chest factory, 
planing mill and iron foundry at AltaVista, and iron furnace at Reusens, 
canning factories at Rustburg and Gladys, and a large tobacco market and 
planing mill at Brookneal. 

The county is amply supplied with well-equipped graded and high 
schools, and within a few hours' ride of any point in the county are located 
some of the most famous educational institutions in the South. Churches 
of all denominations are accessible. Farmers' organizations represent a 
progressive spirit and scientific agriculture is reflected in the general con- 
dition of the farms. Soil, climate and location recommend this county to 
the homeseeker and investor. 

CAROLINE — This county, located in the northeastern part of the State, 
eighteen miles north of Richmond, was formed in 1727 from King and 
Queen, Essex, and King William. It is about twenty-eight miles long and 
twenty miles wide, and contains an area of 562 square miles. The popu- 
lation, according to 1910 census, was 16,596. 

The surface is rolling; the soil is light, easily cultivated, and readily 
improved. There is a large amount of bottom land on the numerous rivers 
and creeks which is very productive. 

The farm products in which the county leads are wheat, corn and to- 
bacco. Other crops are oats, rye, potatoes, hay, and field peas produced in 
great abundance, both as a fertilizer and forage crop. The most profitable 
crop from a monetary standpoint is tobacco, which is produced in large 
quantity. The growing of fine manufacturing tobacco is a specialty, and in 
this respect Caroline is not surpassed by any other county in the State. 
Dairy products, garden vegetables and fruit are important industries with 
the advantage of convenient markets afforded by Richmond, Washington 
and Baltimore. Conditions are favorable for stock raising, which industry 
is assuming some proportions. 

The principal forest products are pine, oak and poplar, with many other 
varieties also represented. There is extensive saw-milling, and excelsior for 
packing is extensively manufactured. 

Transportation facilities are afforded by the Richmond, Fredericksburg 
and Potomac Railroad with frequent and quick service to Richmond and 
Washington and connecting points. The rural roads are generally greatly 
improved. A considerable portion of the county is well supplied with gravel 
and soil suitable for road surfacing. A large mileage of gravel and sand- 
clay roads has been authorized and is under construction. 

Educational advantages afforded by this county are good in both public 
and private schools. There are three high schools and a large number of 
small graded schools. Churches are abundant. 

Bowling Green, the county seat, is located near the center of the county, 
three miles from Milford, the nearby station on the Richmond, Fredericks- 
burg and Potomac Railroad, from which point it has daily communication. 
This is a flourishing town of 800 inhabitants, several churches, good public 
schools, a female seminary, a tobacco warehouse, v/agon factory, general 
stores, and a bank, with total resources of $278,500.00. 

Other towns are Port Royal, with 200 inhabitants; Ruther Glen, a busy 
railroad village, and Milford, with a State bank, total resources of which 
are $109,759.41. 

Recent reports from this county contain mention of marked improve- 
ment in cultural methods and general up-keep of the farms. A progressive 
agricultural spirit is manifested in farmers' organizations, several Farmers' 
Union Clubs being active. This is one of the best watered counties in the 
State. The climate is excellent and very healthful, as the result of its 



Rand Boole of Virginia 



107 



numerous fine springs of pure, soft, drinking water. There is an excellent 
telephone system throughout the county. These facts with an excessible 
location insure Caroline a future of progress and prosperity. 

CARROLL — This county was formed in 1842 from the eastern part of 
Grayson, and was named in honor of Charles Carroll of Carrollton. It is 
situated on the southern border of the State, 183 miles southwest from Rich- 
mond, touching the North Carolina line. Its area is 445 square miles, and 
population, 1910 census, 21,116. 

The surface is broken and mountainous with fertile and productive 
valleys, the largest area of desirable lands lying in the southern half of 
the county. It is bordered by the Alleghany and Blue Ridge mountains, 
and these mountain ranges are especially adapted to the pasturage of stock, 
large numbers of which are raised; cattle raising, especially, being one of 
the leading industries of the county. 

The lands readily produce wheat, corn, oats, rye, buckwheat, potatops, 
and the grasses. Some tobacco is also grown, but the county is especially 




Beardless barley 



noted for the production of rye and buckwheat, ranking among the first of 
the counties of the State for the production of these grains. Fruits are 
grown to great perfection, especially apples and grapes. Portions of the 
county are noted for the growth of the cranberry. 

This county is rich in minerals, the principal of which are copper and 
iron, the latter being extensively mined. Mica and asbestos are also known 
to exist, but are not developed. The timber wealth of the county is very 
extensive, with good bodies of white pine in the northwestern section. The 
most important and valuable species of tinoer are oak, pine, ash, cherry, 
walnut, poplar and chestnut, of which a large amount is manufactured into 
lumber for export. Saw mills are numerous in every district. 

Branches of the Norfolk and Western Railway reach this county in 
the northern and northwestern parts. Rural road construction is under 
survey. State aid fund was used last year in the construction of bridges. 




B 

o 



Hand Book of Virginia 109 



Hmsville, the county seat, with a population of 600, is situated near the 
center of the county, in the basin of the Blue Ridgs mountains on Little 
Reed Island creek, a tributary of New river. This town is about ten miles 
south of Betty Baker depot, which is its nearest point on the Little Reed 
Island branch of the Norfolk and Western Railway. It contains besides the 
courthouse, churches, hotels, stores, schools, two banks, newspapers, shops, 
foundry, etc. Considerable business activity prevails here, the volume of 
trade increasing annually with that section of busy mining operations con- 
nected by railroad. . • n. i 

This county is yearly reflecting a greater improvement m agricultural, 
industrial and educational interests'! Vocational agriculture is taught m the 
Woodlawn High School. A county farm demonstrator is active m promos 
ing improved, modern methods in agriculture. Carroll has a future that wiU 
bring to the front her vast wealth of natural resources. 

CHARLES CITY — This county constituted one of the original shires 
into which the State was divided in 1634. It is located in the east central 
part of the State, twelve miles southeast of Richmond, on the peninsula 
formed by the James and the Chickahominy rivers. It is thirty miles long 
with a mean width of about eight miles, having an area of 183 square miles. 
The population is 5,400. 

, The surface of the county is mostly level, or gently undulating. The 
soil is varied — alluvium and gray loam predominating — and is for the most, 
part productive, especially on the rivers, where the quality is superior. 

These river lands constitute a large proportion of the area of the county^ 
and upon them are found many fine old Colonial estates, famous in song and; 
story. 

The leading farm products are corn, hay and wheat. Oats, potatoes ana 
peanuts are also profitable crops. The yields of cereals are above the ave- 
rage for the State. Fruits and vegetables, to which the soil and climate 
are especially adapted, succeed admirably. Poultry and dairying are also 
profitable and increasing industries. The fine river lands are especially 
adapted to the trucking business, greatly facilitated by market advantages. 
Stock raising is particularly favored by a soil adapted to native grasses, 
affording excellent, well-watered pasturage. 

The fish industry is a very important and profitable one, all the streams.-, 
abounding in fish of the most valuable species, such as herring, sturgeon, etc... 

The timber industry is active in a large lumber, cord wood and railroad 
tie output, the second growth of pine, oak and hickory rapidly replacing it. 
Marl of superior quality and in large quantity is found. 

Railroad transportation is afforded by the Chesapeake and Ohio, travers- 
ing the upper portion of the county for eighteen or twenty miles. The rural 
roads are fairly good, about twenty-five per cent, having been improved. 
Considerable water power is afforded by the James and Chickahominy rivers. 
The transportation advantages afforded by these rivers are of great profit 
and convenience, especially the James river, upon which there are daily 
boats from Richmond and tri-weekly from Petersburg to Norfolk. 

Churches and public schools are numerous, the latter showing marked 
improvement. The climate is much modified by the surrounding water, 
and health conditions compare favorably with other sections. 

Charles City Courthouse is the county seat, located near the center of the 
county. 

A hospitable people, healthful climate, good soil, fishing and hunting 
unexcelled, invite the homeseeker to this county. 

CHARLOTTE — Located in central southern Virginia, sixty-six miles 
southwest of Richmond, is the county of Charlotte, formed from lainenburg 
county in 1764. It contains an area of 479 square miles and has a population 
of 17,310. This county has the distinction of having been the home of two 
of Virginia's most distinguished sons, Patrick Henry and John Randolph. 

The surface is generally rolling. The soil varies from loam to clay and 



Hand Booh of Virginia 111 

is capable of high improvement, the bottom and valley lands being very 
productive. The county is well watered by the Staunton river and smaller 
streams. The leading farm products are tobacco, corn, wheat, hay and oats. 
Charlotte is especially the home of the fine, high-priced shipping tobacco, 
being justly considered one of the finest tobacco growing counties in the 
State. Vegetables and fruits of all kinds are grown in abundance. The 
lands are well adapted to stock raising, and this is an important industry, 
as well as dairying, which has increased sixty per cent, in the last few years. 

Timber abounds in large quantities. The manufacture of lumber is 
one of the profitable industries of the county. The saw mills are cutting 
oak, pine, poplar and hickory. 

The minerals found are iron, copper, mica, kaolin, soapstone, etc., the 
most important of which is iron, which has been found in veins eight to 
sixteen feet in width; but, as yet, the mineral wealth of the county is com- 
paratively undeveloped, with the exception of copper, which is being mined 
now. Lithia, sulphur, calcium and magnesia mineral water is found. 

Railroad facilities are excellent; the Norfolk and Western on the north, 
the Lynchburg and Durham on the west, the Southern through the center, 
a branch line from Keysville into North Carolina, and the Virginian through 
the center. The Staunton river is navigable by bateaux and small steamers. 
Charlotte contains a very good supply of gravel and gray soil suitable for 
road purposes. There are 150 miles of sand-clay, five miles of macadam and 
sixty miles of improved roads. 

Educational advantages are good. There are a School and Civic League, 
ten rural high schools, an agricultural high school, and twenty-five churches, 
including all denominations. Farmers' organizations are active, and there 
is a County Experiment Farm. 

Keysville is the leading town in Charlotte, situated midway between 
Richmond and Danville on that division of the Southern Railway, and is 
the northern terminus of the Durham Branch of the Southern Railway. The 
population of the town is 1,000. The town boasts of four churches, one bank, 
ten stores, two tobacco warehouses, two hotels, an electric power and ice 
plant, and a good high school. It is located in the midst of a good farm- 
ing and timber section, especially noted for its fine grade of bright and 
shipping tobacco. 

Drakes Branch is another town of importance with a good tobacco 
market. Charlotte Courthouse, the county seat, represents a community of 
traditional culture and refinement. It was here Patrick Henry made his 
last speech, in March, 1799. 

This county, within the last five years, has shown marked improvement 
in agricultural development, organization of agricultural clubs, the use of 
improved machinery, increased interest in rural community activities — 
schools and roads. To those interested in dairying, live stock production 
and general farming, Charlotte offers exceptional advantages. 

CHESTERFIELD — Established in 1748, from that part of Henrico 
which was then on the south of James river, Chesterfield is a long and 
narrow peninsula between the James and Appomattox rivers. It is twenty- 
eight miles long and eighteen miles wide, and is nearly divided into three 
parts, one between James river and Falling creek, the next between Falling 
and Swift creeks, and the last between Swift creek and Appomattox river, 
extending to Richmond on the north, to Petersburg on the south, with an 
area of 484 square miles, and a population of 20,000. 

The surface and soil are varied, and mostly tillable. The river and 
creek bottoms are level, alluvial, fertile and under cultivation, the most 
valuable lands lying on James river. The uplands are rolling, of a gray and 
sandy nature, and clay subsoil. 

Farm products in which the county leads are trucks, small fruits, pea- 
nuts, tobacco, corn and hay. Hay is grown in large quantity on the bottom 
lands, and tobacco is raised with great success on the uplands. Much atten- 
tion is given to the production of dairy products, small fruits and vegetables, 



112 Department of Agriculture 

accessible markets — Richmond and Petersburg — insuring remunerative re- 
turns. Chesterfield at former Virginia expositions has received the first 
premium for county agricultural products, and the second for timber, wood 
and mineral. The Bellwood Farm, of national fame, is a striking illustra- 
tion of the productiveness of Chesterfield soils under the proper manage- 
ment. At the Panama-Pacific International Exposition products of this farm 
received gold medals and other awards of excellence. 

The "100 Farm Product Exhibit" of this farm, now displayed in the 
Museum of the State Agricultural Department in Richmond, is an illus- 
tration also of the versatile productiveness of Chesterfield soils. 

The total area of woodlands is given as 53.1 per cent, of the area of 
the county. This, however, does not include fields restocking with pine, and 
■cut-over lands. As a result of lumbering there are now two types of forest, 
the pine and hardwoods, pine predominating at the present time, the total 
stand of timber in the county being estimated at 120,000,000 feet of pine and 
10,000,000 feet of hardwoods. The timber industry in this county is not now 
an important one, being conducted entirely by small mills. Rough lumber, 
staves, box shocks and cord wood are the chief products manufactured. 

The principal minerals are coal, ochre, fire-brick clay, Venetian red marl, 
and granite. This county is celebrated for its mines of coal, which have 
been worked for a long period; the most important of which are Midlothian, 
Clover Hill, Black Heath, and Winterpock. The coal fields run entirely across 
the county, with an average width of six or eight miles, and geologists have 
expressed the opinion that the supply of coal is practically inexhaustible. 
There are thought to be thousands of acres of undeveloped coal lands in this 
county. 

TliG county is well drained by the James river on the north and east and 
the Appomattox river on the south, together with the small tributaries of 
these rivers. There are only occasional small areas of swamp land, more 
frequent in the eastern part of the county. 

Transportation facilities are good. In the eastern part of the county two 
jrailroads, the Seaboard Air Line and the Atlantic Coast Line, and one electric 
"railway, traverse the county from north to south, connecting Richmond and 
"Petersburg. The James river also affords transportation for this part of 
■ the county, by means of boats running between Richmond and Norfolk. The 
inorthem part of the county is crossed by the Richmond and Danville Division 
of the Southern Railway. On the whole, the main public roads of the county 
are good. The mileage of improved roads is very large. Two turnpikes pene- 
trate the county, the Buckingham turnpike and the Richmond and Peters- 
burg turnpike. Local gravel is used for surfacing the roads. 

The public school system of the county is in a flourishing condition. No 
section of the county is without adequate school advantages. Churches are 
numerous and well distributed. 

Chester, located on the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, is a thriving town, 
with a State bank whose total resources are $148,161.00, a canning factory, a 
thrifty lumber business, and a high school with a department of vocational 
agriculture. Midlothian, on the Southern Railway, has an important lumber 
business and a large commercial nursery nearby. Bon Air, also on the 
Southern Railway, is a popular summer resort for many of Richmond's best 
citizens. Chesterfield Courthouse is the county seat. 

There are many points of historic interest in this county. One of its 
ancient landmarks is Salisbury, the former residence of Patrick Henry; 
another, Matoaca, the scene of John Randolph's early years; and still another, 
Warwick, which prior to the Revolution was larger than Richmond, and one 
of the principal shipping points on James river. 

The general condition of Chesterfield farms exhibits progress and im- 
provement as result of modern practices in improving the soil and cultivat- 
ing crops. Farmers' organizations are strong. Community canning and 
syrup making are recent industrial developments. The favorable conditions 
for dairying are recognized by the progressive farmer and this industry is a 
profitable source of revenue as well as farm improvement. A salubrious dim- 



k-'l'^y-ly-'*,^*^"^ 




Hand I>ook of Virginia 113 



ate, responsive soil, and favorable location in respect to markets and other 
advantages afforded by the cities of Petersburg and Richmond, offer especial 
inducements to prospective settlers in this county. 

CLARIvE — This county was formed in 1836 from Frederick, and named 
in honor of General Rogers Clarke, who distinguished himself in the Indian 
and Revolutionary wars. It lies in the center of the Shenandoah valley, in 
almost the extreme northern part of the State, 106 miles northwest of Rich- 
mond, bordering on the Maryland line. It is rather below the average in 
size, being about seventeen miles long and ten miles wide, with an area of 
189 square miles. The present population is estimated 8,215. 

The surface of the central portion of the county and west of the Shenan- 
doah river is undulating, the soil limestone, and unsurpassed for fertility and 
productiveness. The land east of the Shenandoah river is mountainous. 
Portions of this mountain section produce excellent bluegrass when cleared, 
affording fine pasturage for sheep and cattle. Farm products are corn, wheat, 
oats, rye, potatoes, hay, etc. Special attention is given to the wheat, corn 
and hay crop, the lands being among the finest in the State for the production 
of wheat. All fruits of this latitude are grown to great perfection, and large 
quantities of apples and peaches are annually shipped. 

This being a native bluegrass section, the raising of cattle is engaged in 
very extensively, and this industry is increasing, the cities of Washington, 
Baltimore and New York affording convenient market for sale. 

Forest trees are pine, oak, chestnut, hickory, poplar, cedar and locusts. 
The manufacture of timber is not at present an important industry. Lime- 
stone, for building purposes, exists in large quantities. 

The Shenandoah river winds its course along the base of the Blue Ridge, 
and, with its several tributaries — Chapel, Opequon and Birch creeks — plenti- 
fully waters the county. 

The Shenandoah Valley Branch of the Norfolk and Western Railroad, ex- 
tending from Hagerstown, Md., to Roanoke, Va., traverses the central part 
of the county from north to south. The Valley Branch of the Baltimore and 
Ohio Railroad extends through the northwest part, thus bringing the county 
into communication with all the different sections of the country. Rural 
roads are excellent. Educational and church advantages are good. 

Berryville, the county seat, is a thriving town of 1,000 people, with two 
banks. It is located on the Shenandoah Valley Railroad, a little north of the 
center of the county with elevation of 568 feet. Boyce is an important town 
of 300 people, a short distance south of Berryville, with a State bank. 

It may be truly said that, in proportion to its size, this is one of the 
richest counties in the State. Everything conspires to make it a highly 
favored section. Situated at the head of the famous Shenandoah valley, it is 
noted for its healthful climate, beautiful scenery, productive land, and intelli- 
gent, enterprising people. It has fine bluegrass soil, and stock raising is 
one of its most important industries. Its yield in wheat and corn is not ex- 
celled by any other section and equalled by few. With industries exclusive- 
ly agricultural, Clarke ranks well in the list of wealthy counties of the State. 

CRAIG — Craig county was formed from Botetourt in 1850. It is located 
in Southwest Virginia, 145 miles west of Richmond. It has an area of 256,- 
266 acres, of which amount about 20 per cent, is under cultivation. The popu- 
lation, according to 1910 census, was 4,711, with a normal increase to the 
present. 

Though the smallest of the southwestern counties, it is by no means the 
least important. The lands are fertile and well kept, varying from light 
sandy to clay, of limestone formation and peculiarly adapted to the growth 
of rich grasses. Bluegrass grows spontaneously when the land is cleared. 
Accordingly we find here a pastoral people, who, for a number of years have 
made the raising of live stock the principal industry, annually shipping to 
the eastern markets a large number of fine cattle, sheep and horses, many 
of the cattle being high grade Shorthorns. The surface is to considerable 



Hand Booh of Virginia 1 1 5 



extent rugged, but there are fertile valleys challenging comparison with the 
best sections of the State, notably Sinking creek, wivh its rich limestone 
and clay soil, and Potts Valley, with its sandy loam. The staple agricultural 
products, such as wheat, corn, oats, etc., are successfully grown, and con- 
siderable attention is paid to the raising of hogs and poultry, especially tur- 
keys, of which large numbers are annually shipped. All fruits and vegetables 
common to this latitude are grown with the best results. Fruit growing on 
a commercial basis is a future industry which may be safely predicted. 

The timber of this section is noted for its fine quality. Forests of oak, 
hickory, ash, poplar, pine, maple, walnut, sycamore, wild cherry and beech 
abound. There is a large output from the saw mills of timber, and ties and 
tan bark are being shipped in considerable quantity. 

Minerals consist mainly of iron, manganese and slate. Indications of 
silver have been found, and fine pottery and brick clays are abundant. Craig 
is situated in the very heart of what is known as the Oriskany Iron Ore 
Fields of the Appalachian Virginia. The percentage of iron runs very high 
in these ores, yielding from forty to sixty per cent, of metallic iron, the 
average being fully fifty per cent. The supply of manganese is inexhausti- 
ble and of excellent quality. 

The mineral springs of the county have a wide reputation, hundreds of 
people from all over the country frequent resorts for health and enjoyment. 
The rugged green-clad hills and lovely valleys make a picture that cannot 
be surpassed. 

Road construction is in progress, although the county presents many 
difficulties for this work. Splendid bridges of recent construction are marks 
of progress. Rail transportation is furnished by the Craig Valley Branch of 
the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. 

New Castle is the county seat and principal town, situated at the termi- 
nal of the Craig Valley Branch of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. The' 
population is 800. It has a splendid high school, a number of progressive 
stores, a bank, with $30,000 capital stock, hotels, flour mills, a newspaper, 
and many beautiful homes. The water power in the vicinity of New Castle 
is immense, affording power for innumerable enterprises adjacent to the 
town. 

The general condition of the farms in this county presents marked im- 
provement. The County Agricultural Agent reports improvement in rural 
homes, more farm machinery, better preparation of the soil, better seed, and 
better live stock, as well as good school buildings and splendid churches. 

CULPEPER — Named in honor of Lord Culpeper, Governor of the 
Colony for three years, from 1680, this county was formed from Orange in 
1748. It is separated from Fauquier by the Rappahannock river, and is one 
of the northern counties of the Piedmont region, though not wholly of that 
region, the lower portion running down into Middle Virginia, 102 miles north- 
west of Richmond. The area is 399 square miles, population, according to 
1910 census, 13,472, with an estimated increase of 10 per cent, to the present. 

The surface, less rugged than some of the other Piedmont counties, is 
generally rolling, but several detached mountains or spurs in portions of the 
county give it a very picturesque and attractive appearance. The soil is 
red clay, chocolate, and sometimes sandy, producing fine crops of wheat, rye, 
corn, oats and hay. The leading crops are wheat, corn and hay. It has the 
reputation, also, of producing more broom corn than any county in the State. 
Fruits of all kinds, especially apples, succeed well along the mounttr^n sides. 

Much attention is being paid to stock raising, and the breeds of cattle, 
horses and hogs have been greatly improved. The raising of cattle and hogs 
has greatly increased in recent years, and the sheep industry will doubtless 
exceed the normal in a few years under a recently enacted Dog law. Dairy- 
ing is also an important industry. Many farmers have built silos, and, under 
improved labor conditions, which are the earnest of the future, this industry 
bids fair to assume greater importance. Alfalfa is grown with great success, 
success. 



Hand Booh of Virginia 117 



The leading forest products are oak and pine. I/umber, ties, tan bark 
and pulpwood are marketed. In some portions of tlie county sawmilling is 
an important industry. 

Tlie minerals of tliis county are gold (heavy quartz), copper, iron, mica, 
marble and fire clay, but they have been but slightly developed. The gold 
mines have been favorably reported and some have been developed and 
worked. 

The water courses are the Rappahannock, the Rapidan and Hazel rivers 
and tributaries, affording abundant water for agriculiaral purposes and fine 
water power. 

The Southern Railway traverses this county from northeast to south- 
west, furnishing excellent transportation facilities. There is also a good 
turnpike extending from the county seat, Culpeper, to Sperryville, Rappa- 
hannock county. Completion of a portion of road now under construction 
will give a complete macadam road from the county seat to the Madison 
county line. The roads in this county are well kept. 

Much interest is manifested in an up-to-date school system. There are 
five high schools in the county and graded schools W3ll distributed, as well 
as churches accessible to all parts of the county. 

Culpeper, ihe county seat, is an ^incorporated town, located near the 
center of the county, with a population of about 2,500. Recent industrial 
developments there are a silk and pants factory. Vocational agriculture is 
taught in the high school. 

Farm lands in this section have attracted considerable attention and 
many new settlers have increased the population. In point of health, the 
United States reports this section second only to Asheville in the whole 
country. The altitude is 403 feet. 

CUMBERLAND — This county, lying on the south side of Jame;5 
river, was formed from Goochland in 1748, and extends to the Appomattox 
river. It is thirty-eight miles west of Richmond. The county extends in 
length thirty miles and is about ten miles wide, with an area of 297 square 
miles. The population is about 10,000. 

The surface to a considerable extent is level, with a small acreage un- 
dulating. The soil is a gray loam, with red clay subsoil, capable of being 
made very productive. Lands lie well for farming, and yield well, especially 
those on the rivers, which are very fertile. 

The leading farm products are corn, wheat, oats, tobacco and tomatoes. 
For years the most important and profitable industry has been tobacco 
growing, but diversification is being extensively practiced now. The tomato 
industry is rather new in the county, but there are several progressive can- 
neries now in operation, and many farmers have grown an average of $200 
worth of tomatoes per acre. Fruits and vegetables of the usual varieties are 
produced in abundance. 

Stock raising in Cumberland's march of progress is receiving consider- 
able attention. Many farmers are building up their herds with better beef 
cattle and better dairy cows. The activities of many are engaged in the 
dairy business, and in every instance the farm as well as the farmer is im- 
proving. Grazing facilities are good. Excellent conditions exist for sheep 
husbandry, which has been a profitable industry in Cumberland and will 
doubtless receive a new impetus under a recent better protecting Dog law. 

Minerals are found to some extent, the principal of which is coal. Fine 
mineral springs abound, from which flow lithia, sulphur, chalybeate and 
magnesia water, ihe James, Appomattox and Willis rivers afford abundant 
water power. 

The forest products are oaks of different varieties, hickory, pine, walnut, 
poplar, ash, etc. Many saw mills produce large amounts of lumber, princi- 
pally pine and oak. 

Transportation is furnished by the Norfolk and Western for a few miles 
near Farmville, and the Chesapeake and Ohio on the northern end of the 
county, just over the James river, connecting with the county over 



Hand, Book of Virginia 119 

three good bridges across the river. Trucks and autos meet tlie need of 
interior transportation. The county has a number of miles of improved 
sand and clay roads, and will have about twenty-five miles of Federal and 
State Highway from Sunny Side to Farmville. 

The schools invite comparison with many other counties in the State. 
New two-room graded schools and high schools have been erected within 
the reach of every child. The Hamilton High School, near Cartersville, has 
the reputation of being one of the best country high schools in the State. 
Cumberland also boasts of many churches of the leading denominations. 

Cumberland, the county seat, located about the center of the county, is 
a good tobacco market, with warehouse and stemmeries. The Cumberland 
Bank, Inc., is located here. Cartersville is also an important town and to- 
bacco market. 

Land has increased in value in Cumberland, during the last ten years, 
100 per cent., but is yet cheap compared to many sections of the country and 
the advantages offered. Farmers' organizations are fairly strong in the 
county and are doing good work for the farmers. Recent reports show an 
increased acreage under cultivation and a large increase in production as 
well as quality of crops, due principally to better farming practices, the use 
of clovers, cowpeas, and other soil-improving crops, and increase in the live 
stock business. The farm and timber lands of this county offer good invest- 
ments. 

DICKENSON — Named in honor of William J. Dickenson, this county 
was formed in 1880 from the counties of Wise, Buchanan and Russell. It 
is situated in the extreme western section of the State, at an altitude of 
1,800 feet. The county contains an area of 324 square miles, or 313,597 acres. 
The estimated population at present is 12,199. 

The soil varies in texture, but is principally sandy. The farm products 
are corn, v/heat, rye, oats, millet, tobacco, potatoes, sorghum, and buckwheat, 
corn, oats, fruits and vegetables leading. Stock and grazing facilities are 
good, the wild range excellent in some sections. Being in the great grazing 
region of the southwest, a considerable portion of the County has naturally 
good grass lands, and great varieties of legumes and cover crops are being 
grown. 

Timber of valuable kind and superior quality is found here in great 
abundance — oak, hickory, poplar, walnut, elm, ash, maple, wild cherry, pine, 
hemlock and chestnut. The manufacture of timber is a very important in- 
dustry in this county. There is an abundance of coal and iron, besides many 
mineral springs of great medicinal value. The wealth of the county in fine, 
bituminous, splint and cannel coals is unsurpassed by the same area any- 
where. 

The streams of the county are Pound, Cranes Nest, Russell Fork rivers 
and McClure's creek, which flows north, through breaks of the Cumberland 
mountains, into the Ohio. These streams afford splendid water-power, as 
yet not utilized. In many places on these streams the scenery is vei'y im- 
posing, especially that on Russell Fork river, the deep canyon at the breaks 
of the Cumberland mountains, in the northern end of the county. 

The western section of the county is traversed by the Chesapeake and 
Ohio Railway. There are about thirty miles of improved roads and con- 
siderable road and bridge improvement is under construction. 

The county's school system is progressive, nearly all one-room schools 
having been consolidated into graded schools in modern buildings. Church 
advantages are fairly good. 

Clintwood, the county seat, is located in the western part of the county. 
The Dickenson County Bank is located here. Coal-mining and lumbering 
are the chief activities of the towns. 

Recent reports from this county are progressive. The people are inter- 
ested in better farming methods. A greater variety of legumes is being 
grown, more interest in improved live stock is manifested, more machinery 
is being used, co-operative buying and selling is practiced, a community fruit 



Hand Boolx of Virginia 121 

interest is active in combating disease and insect pests, and silos and better 
barns are being built each year. 

This is one of the best counties in the State for the investor. The re- 
sources of the county are yet undeveloped. The climate is healthful and 
invigorating the average temperature being 52.4 degrees F., and rainfall 60.1. 

DINWIDDIE — Named in honor of Robert Dinwiddle, Lieutenant Gov- 
ernor of Virginia from 1752 to 1758, this county was foimed from Prince 
George in 17 52. It is situated at the head of tidewater, between the 
Appomattox and Nottoway rivers, twenty-two miles south of Richmond, 
and has an area of 521 square miles, one-third of which is cultivated. 
Farms average 160 acres each. Present population is 17,4 42, represent- 
ing an increase of a little over 10 per cent. 

The surface of this county is in some parts undulating, but mostly 
level. The soil is a light gray in the southern and eastern parts, and a 
red, stiff clay loam in other portions, and is especially fertile on the river 
courses and in the vicinity of Petersburg. 

The loading farm products are tobacco, biight and dark, Spanish 
peanuts, cotton, grain and trucks. Large quantities of tobacco of supe- 
rior quality are raised. The samples of bright and dark tobaccos, which 
were awarded first prizes at the International Exposition in California, 
1915, were grown in Dinwiddie county. In the southern part of the 
county peanuts and cotton grow well. Wheat, corn, rye, oats, grasses, 
clovers and alfa'fa also do well, as well as fruits and berries of all varie- 
ties. Trucking is a very profitable industry, especially in the vicinity of 
Petersburg, where market and shipping facilities are so extensive and 
convenient. 

Conditions for dairying, cattle and hog raising are favorable. The 
dairy industry is a recent development which is proving quite profitable. 

A few miles west of Petersburg are quarries that obtain granite 
from the crystalline rock floor beneath the sand and gravel. This rock 
is a medium gray to dark blue-gray stone, very well adapted to building. 
It has been quarried extensively and used for buildings and monuments. 
Granite used in the Richmond postoiRce was quarried near De Witt in this 
county. 

The leading forest products are pine, oak, poplar and gum, the 
greater portion of which is .second growth. The timber interest has 
long been a very important one, a ready market being found in the Peters- 
burg wood-using plants and in markets more distant as well as in local 
plants manufacturing general lumber, box shocks and headings. 

The county is well watered by the Appomattox and Nottoway rivers 
and numerous smaller streams, upon which are located excellent flour 
and grist mills. 

Railroad transportation is ample, being furnished by the Seaboard Air 
Line, the Atlantic Coast Line and the Norfolk and Western. The mileage 
of rural road construction during the past nine years has been very 
large. Much interest is manifested in road construction in this county 
and their general condition is good. All sections are well supplied with 
churches, Methodist, Baptist, Episconal and Presbyterian. The public 
schools are in a flourishing condit'on, with comfortable and well- 
equipped school buildings. Vocat'onal agriculture is taught in the Din- 
widdie High School. IMail farilitiec are good nnd the financial condition 
of the county is very favorable. The county is served by five banks. A 
farmers organization is active. 

Dinwiddie, the county seat, is located near the center of the county 
on the Seaboard Air Line Railway, twelve miles southwest from Peters- 
burg. It has several churches, stores, a high school, a fraternal order, 
and a bank. A lumber manufacturing company does a large business 
at Butterworth, on the Seaboard, which place and community is also 
served by a bank. And other points being served by banks are Carson, 



Rand Booh of Virginia 123 

on the Atlantic Coast Line, Ford, on the Norfolk and Western, and Mc- 
Kinney, on the Seaboard, a tobacco warehouse being located at the latter 
point. 

The Central State Hospital, for colored patients exclusively, is 
located in this county, near Petersburg. It is one of the largest hospitals 
for colored insane in this country. 

This county, whose interest is mainly agricultural, has the advan- 
tage of a good market within its borders. Petersburg, a city of 28,000 
people, is located in the northeast corner of the county, on the south- 
side of the Appomattox river. The large industries on which the pros- 
perity of this city is builded, in their initial development, were the out- 
come of her resources in raw materials. Petersburg is in a district 
which has for many years produced immense quantiti'es of tobacco, pea- 
nuts, and lumber. The city's tobacco industries employ 3,000 people. 
The largest trunk and bag factory in the world is located here. There 
are eight peanut factories, handling annually more than 3,000,000 
bushels. Camp Lee, one of the sixteen cantonments of the National 
Army, is located about three miles east of Petersburg, and the area 
around abounds in historic associations from the earliest history of our 
country. 

The general condition of farms in this county is reported good. 
Farmers' organizations and community spirit are active. A favorable 
location, good health record, mild climate, responsive soil, and a refined, 
progressive people are facts to interest the homeseeker in this county. 

ELIZABETH OITY — This county was one of the original shires into 
which Virginia was divided in 1634, and Queen Elizabeth is the deriva- 
tion of its name. Situated at the southeastern extremity of Virginia's 
great peninsula, on the Chesapeake Bay and at the mouth of the James 
river, bordering on the historic Hampton Roads, it is sixty-five miles 
southeast from Richmond. Its size is nearly a square of seven miles on 
a side. With the exception of Alexandria, this is the smallest county 
in the State, having an area of fifty square miles, one-half of which is 
in cultivation. Population, 23,000. 

The surface of the county is level, the soil varying from light 
sandy to rich alluvial, much of it being highly fertile. Farm products 
are corn, wheat, oats, hay, potatoes, forage crops, alfalfa and other 
legumes. Vegetables and fruits do well, especially the small fruits, 
berries, etc. Poultry raising receives a great deal of attention and finds 
a very remunerative home market. Trucking is a very important in- 
dustry; but perhaps the most profitable industry of the county is its 
fish, crab and oyster business. These abound in inexhaustible quantities, 
and of the finest quality, in the surrounding waters, and give profitable 
employment to a large number of inhabitants. Wild fowl — geese, ducks, 
swans, etc., are also found in large numbers on the streams. 

The Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad and different lines of electric 
railway afford ample facilities for travel and transportation, and the 
county, being almost surrounded by navigable waters, is in daily com- 
munication by steamers with Richmond, Norfolk, Washington, Baltimore, 
Philadelphia, New York and Boston, affording excellent market advan- 
tages for truck, marine products, etc. The electric street railway system 
operates a freight line also and this covers much of the agricultural 
section, enabling farmers to make shipments either from or very near 
their farms. 

The interior water supply is furnished by Back and Hampton rivers. 
The climate is temperate and remarkably healthful. Churches of the 
various denominations and most excellent schools are well distributed 
over the county. Telephone and mail facilities are ample, public roads 
good, and the financial condition of the county excellent. 



124 Department of Agriculture 



Hampton, the coiinty seat, is the oldest English-speaking city in 
America, settled in 1611. Tt is a seaport town on the Hampton river, 
which empties into Hampton Roads, the greatest po7;t in the world. This 
is a modern, up-to-date town oi: 6,000 people to-day. Hampton, Phoebus, 
Old Point Comfort and Fortress Monroe are practically one town, no 
boundary line being visible. It is the headquarters of an immense busi- 
ness in marine products, an enormous trucking business for Northern 
markets and a liberal banking business of great proportions. 16,500,000 tons 
of coal were shipped from Hampton Roads in seven months during 1918. Its 
transportation facilities are exceptionally good, having connection with two 
steamship lines to Washington, three to Baltimore, one to New York 
direct, and one by way of Cape Charles (the Eastern Shoro) and rail, 
besides one to Boston. The city is also in ferry connection with Norfolk, 
connecting with all lines South, while located on the Chesapeake and 
Ohio Railway connecting it with the West. 

Statistics compiled by a prominent physician indicate climatic con- 
ditions in the county as the very best. The water supply is abundant. 
The public school system embraces high school, normal and industrial 
schools and well supervised graded schools. The city ' has an excellent 
municipal government replete in all its departments. Located here is 
the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute for the education and 
training of negroes and Indians, with an efficient corps of teachers and 
professors. It was opened in 1868. and incorporated in 1870, being the 
first permanent school for negroes in the South. It is aided by both the 
State and National governments, but is dependent upon voluntary dona- 
tions for the greater part of its support. 

Hampton is one of America's most conspicuous cities from an his- 
torical point of view — conspicuous as being next to the oldest city in the 
United States, and as having a frontage on the greatest harbor known 
to the world, in which occurred (near-by) the great battle between the 
Monitor and the Merrimac. 

Old Point Comfort is situated at the juncture of the Chesapeake Bay 
with Hampton Roads and three miles from the town of Hampton, with 
which it has electric railway connection. ' It received its name from 
Captain Cliristopher Newport, who found it a safe haven during a severe 
storm, the "Old" being added to distinguish it from the New Point Com- 
fort, a few miles away. This is one of the most fashionable and popular 
resorts on the Atlantic coast, and is especially attractive for its fine 
bathing, boating and fishing. 

Neai-by is Fortress Monroe, commanding the approach to Hampton 
Roads, at which is stationed the United States school of artillery, the 
largest artillery garrison in the country. The National Soldiers' Home, 
for disabled volunteer soldiers, is located near Hampton. It has beau- 
tiful grounds and buildings, and expends annually one and a half million 
dollars, much of which benefits the county. 

The newcomers drawn to this county by the war time industries located 
in this vicinity have become much interested in Elizabeth City county and 
Hampton, and the probability is that many of them will become permanent 
citizens and permanent managers of big industries. Already there are move- 
ments on foot to convert war time industries into peace time plants. 

An interesting past, a progressive present and a future of splendid 
possibilities invite the homeseeker and investor to this county. 

KSSEX — This countv was formed from (old) Fanpaha^nock in 1692, 
the records of the original county remaining in its archives. It is a 
northeastern county, thirty-five miles below Fredericksburg, on the Rap- 
pahannock river. It is about thirty-five miles long and six miles wide, 
area being 27 7 square miles. The population of the county, census 1910, 
was 9,105. 



Hand Booh of Yirginia 125 



Physical aspects of the county are like those in the Tidewater country 
generally, the surface principally level, or slightly rolling. The soil is 
sandy loam, with clay subsoil, very fertile and easily cultivated, and, 
being smooth, with no stone, all agricultural machinery can be used to 
advantage. The river lands are very good, and when properly drained 
are very productive and valuable. On the Dragon Swamp lands, which 
separate Essex from King and Queen, are fine wheat lands, with a heavy, 
tenacious soil of great fertility. The lands respond readily to any effort 
at improvement, and there is no part of the State where farming can be 
engaged in with better prospects of success. 

The leading farm products are corn, wheat, grass and trucks, the 
latter forming a very important item of agriculture in this county. The 
extra early English peas grov/ to great perfection. Potatoes also, and 
other vegetables, with dairy products, are sources of much revenue. 
The county is also well adapted to fruit growing, peaches, apples, pears 
and the smaller fruits. There are some very fine peach orchards in the 
county — numbering as many as 10,000 or 12,000 trees each, the products 
from which are shipped in large quantities, bringing the highest prices 
in northern markets, or disposed of to the several canneries in the county. 
Clover and other grasses grow well in this county. Interest in the growth 
of clover and other legumes has greatly improved the general condition 
of the farms. 

Eaising and fattening livestock for market — cattle and hogs, espe- 
cially cattle — is very profitable. On account of the mild winters they 
are fed with much less expense than in colder sections of the State, num- 
bers of native grown cattle, weighing 1.5 pounds for three-year olds, 
are sold every year for export, but perhaps the greater portion of the 
cattle is shipped to the Baltimore market. 

The Rappahannock river is woll supplied with fish and oysters. 
About twenty miles of the lower river front of this county is in the 
famous oyster section, which produces as fine oysters as any section of 
the State. The shad and herring fisheries are especially valuable, em- 
ploying many men and vessels. 

About fifty per cent, of the county ^s under cultivation and the 
balance embraces considerable qtiantities of timber in oak, pine, elm, 
ash, poplar and chestnut, pine, oak, gum and poplar predominating. 
The manufacture of timber is an important industry. 

Water transportation is afforded by the Rappahannock river and 
there are daily steamers to Baltimore. Rural roads are good. There 
are about fifty miles of improved roads. The citizens of this and adjoin- 
ing counties are much interested in having connections made between 
the sections already imnroved on the main road running lengthwise 
through the county, on which considerable work has already been done. 

There are several farmers' organizations reflecting a progressive and 
co-ordinate spirit among the farmers. Educational advantages are 
good. Churches are well located. 

Tapnahannock, the cotinty seat, population 500, is a port of entry 
for the district. It is located on the Rappahannock river, in the north- 
east part of the county. Its water supply is from artesian wells. Com- 
mercial industries are a sumac mill, canning factory, foundry and ma- 
chine shops, with two banks serving the town and surrounding district. 
Other towns are Loretta and Dtmnsvilie. 

Adaptability of the county to many profitable features in farming 
and its accessibility to a large market by daily steamer transportation 
present exceptional opportunities. 

FAIRFAX — Organizerl in 17 42 from Prince William, this county was 
named in honor of Lord Fairfax. It lies on the west bank of the Poto- 
mac river. The eastern portion of the county is in the immediate vicinity 



126 Department of Agriculture 

of the cities of Washington, Georgetown and Alexandria. It is situated 
in the northeastern portion of tlie State, seventy-eight miles north of 
Richmond, and contains an area of 433 square miles, generally in a high 
state of cultivation. The altitude is 382 feet; population 21,600. 

The interior of the county is generally rolling and smooth, nine- 
tenths of which is arable. A variety of soils exists; in some sections sandy, 
but generally red clay. The lands throughout the county are productive; 
in some parts very fertile and capable of a high state of cultivation. 
Corn, wheat, potatoes and hay are the principal farm crops, fruits, dairy 
and vegetable products entering largely into the general production. 

Fruit culture is an important industry. Apples, peaches, pears, 
plums, cherries, quinces and grapes are grown in great abundance, and of 
the latter there are vineyards of over 100 acres. 

The dairy business is conducted on an extensive scale and recent 
developments show a large increase, the daily shipments to V/ashington 
and Georgetown amounting to many thousand gallons. Butter and 
cheese factories are important industries in the county. Poultry raising 
and market gardening are sources of much revenue, proximity to the 
above cities insuring a convenient and ready market for all products of 
farm, dairy and garden. 

The fish industry in the Potomac and small streams gives emplo_y- 
ment and remuneration to a large number of people. The raising of 
cattle, sheep and hogs engages the attention of many farmers, and is 
quite profitable. 

The manufacture of timber is an important industry, the forest pro- 
ducts being pine, poplar, sycamore and gum used for paper pulpwood. 

Transportation by railroad, electric line and motor trucks is excel- 
lent. The condition of rural roads is good; many are being improved, 
the work of construction and maintenance being under the direction of a 
competent engineer. Educational advantages are offered in good public 
schools, the Episcopal High School, and accessibility to the schools of 
Washington and Alexandria. The Episcopal Theological School is located 
in this county. 

Fairfax, the county seat, is located in the center of the county, mid- 
way between the main line and Washington Blueniont Branch of the 
Southern Railway, and about six miles from each. It is also the terminus 
of the W. A. and F. C. electric railway. This is a thriving inland village 
of 800 people, or more, with streets well graded and paved, several public 
and private schools, churches, ^Masonic lodges, a newspaper, industrial 
operations in the county being represented in paper, pulp cutting, flour and 
feed mills. The county is served by three banks. 

Among this county's many claims to historic interest is Mount Ver- 
non, the beautiful home and burial place of Washington, situated on the 
banks of the Potomac, eight miles below Alexandria and fifteen miles 
from Washington city, from whicli latter place steamers visit Mount Ver- 
non daily. There is also an electric railway connecting this hallowed 
site with Washington and Alexandria. The grounds are in charge of the 
IMount Vernon Association, and are visited by thousands of persons from 
all parts of the world. 

A responsive soil, ready market, and a progressive people manifested 
in community organization invite the homeseeker and investor to this 
county. 

FAUQUIER — Organized in 1759 from Prince William county and 
named in honor of Francis Fauquier, Governor of Virginia from 1758 to 
17 67, this county lies in the northern part of Virginia, sixty-three miles, 
air line, from Richmond. Its length is forty-five miles, mean breadth, 
sixteen miles, and area 676 square miles. Population, 24,800. 

This county lies at the upper waters of the Rappahannock river. 



Hand Book of Virginia 127 

which separates it from Culpeper and Rappahannock county on the west, 
and at the foot of the Blue Ridge mountains on the northwest, separating 
it from Warren county. Besides the Blue Ridge, there are several other 
mountain ranges in the county, the principal of which are the Carter's 
and Bull Run, which form a chain through its central part, north and 
south. 

The surface of this county is gently rolling and in some portions 
quite hilly, but with considerable level land. About eighty per cent, of 
the land is under cultivation, and the soil, having been judiciously man- 
aged, is generally in a high state of improvement. The soil, in the most 
part, is very fertile, especially the noted greenstone lands which consti- 
tute the richest part of this productive county. 

The leading farm products are corn, wheat, rye and orchard grass, 
corn production being the largest. Oats, hay, legumes, potatoes and 
vegetables of all kinds grow abundantly. The usual fruits adapted to 
this latitude, such as apples, peaches, pears, cherries, and the smaller 
fruits, succeed well and are largely grown; also grapes, especially in the 
eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge mountains. The productions of the 
county furnish a large surplus for the markets. 

While the most important products of the farms are the cereals and 
grasses, stock raising and dairying rank as the chief industries. This is 
essentially a pastoral county, being so thoroughly watered and the soil 
so well adapted to the growth of all grasses, especially the nutritious 
bluegrass, which grows spontaneously and is so valuable in the produc- 
tion of fine cattle, for which this county is so famous in the markets of 
Washington, Baltimore, and the cities farther north, as well as in the 
export markets of Europe. 

The mineral formations of the county are varied, embracing gold, 
iron, copper, asbestos, marble, slate, sandstone and granite, several of 
which are mined and quarried. The manufacture of timber is an impor- 
tant industry — piles, pulpwood and some hardwood — the forests yielding 
oak, hickory, chestnut and poplar. There are a large number of saw 
mills in operation in the county. Fauquier is abundantly watered by the 
Rappahannock and Ocoquan rivers and other small streams, which also 
afford splendid v/ater power for all kinds of manufacturing purposes. 

This county is very favorably situated as to markets, with its splen- 
did railroad service, north and south, affording quick, easy and cheap 
transportation to the nearby cities of Alexandria, Washington and Balti- 
more. It is served by the Manassas and Warrenton branches of the 
Southern Railway, and good rural roads, the construction and mainte- 
nance of which receive the interest and attention of a progressive people. 

The climate is delightful, especially in summer, not objectionably 
severe in winter, very healthful, and free from all malarious diseases and 
fevers. The water is freestone and very abundant, never-failing springs 
and wells on almost every tract. More interest is being manifested in 
farmers' organizations; the general condition of farms is good; churches 
of all Protestant denominations are adequate; educational advantages 
are offered by both private academies and public schools. 

Warrenton is the county seat and largest tov/n, located in the center 
of the county, 3 65 feet above the sea level. This is a town of beautiful 
residences, attractive social life, and two National banks serving the in- 
terests of a progressive community. Other towns, with population from 
400 to 600 and good banking facilities, are Marshall, The Plains, Upper- 
ville and Pemington. 

Fauquier ranks high as regards quality of soil, beauty of scenery, 
healthfulness and general prosperity, having among her farmers some 
of the most successful and prosperous in the State. 

FLOYD — This county is one of the three — Floyd, Carroll and Gray- 
son — that form the garden plateau of Southwest Virginia. It was formed 
from Montgomery county in 1831, while the Hon. John Floyd was Gov- 



Band Booh of Virginia 129 

ernor of Virginia, hence its name, and lies between the Alleghany and 
Blue Ridge mountains, 22 5 miles southwest from Richmond, near the 
southern border of the State, only a small portion of Patrick county sepa- 
rating it from North Carolina. The area is 376 square miles; population, 
1910 censes, 14,092. 

The surface is rolling, and in some parts mountainous. The soil is 
very productive and well adapted to grass. The climate is diversified and 
remarkably fine, with uniform seasons. The summers are delightful, 
and when rendered more accessible to the outside world this county will 
become a popular summer resort. Without a railroad, she remains the 
home of a sturdy race of mountaineers, whose farms, being inaccessible 
to markets, are only producing a tithe of what they might. 

Corn, wheat, oats, buckv/heat, cattle and poultry are the farm pro- 
ducts in which this county leads. The lands are especially adapted to 
cattle raising, a large source of revenue. Pine horses and sheep are 
raised also, and the dairy industry is a growing one. 

The mineral wealth of this county is of great value. Nearly every 
part of the surface indicates the presence of ores, such as gold, silver, 
iron, copper, lead, graphite, asbestos, soapstone, nickel and arsenic. 
Floyd has the distinction of having within her bovmdaries the only arsenic 
mine in North America, and is now making large shipments of this pro- 
duct to various parts of the world. The coppei mines of this county are 
rich in copper and iron, with showing of gold and arsenic. A valuable 
plant, about seven miles fi'om Floyd, the county seat, is operated by a 
large corporation ef New York capitalists. 

Many sections of the county are covered with fine forests of walnut, 
poplar, oak, hickory, ash, pine, maple and chestnut, and the manufacture 
of timber is an important industry. 

Other advantages offered by this county are a good system of ele- 
mentary schools, high schools, churches, excellent mail facilities, splendid 
freestone water, and a people frugal and industrious. 

Floyd, the county seat, situated near the center of the county, is a 
town of 500 people. 

FLUVANNA — This county was organized in 1777. It lies on the 
north bank of James river, near the center of the State, fifty-seven miles 
northwest of Richmond. It is nearly a square and contains 289 square 
miles, the average size farm being 250 acres. Tiae population 8,323, 1910 
census. 

The surface is generally rolling, self-draining and easy to cultivate. The 
soil is of every variety, from the richest alluvial bottoms, often skirted by 
heavy productive clay soils, to the less productive ridges between the rivers. 
In the eastern part of the county the lands are, in the main, of a gray, 
granite soil, while in the western portion is a heavier, closfer red clay soil 
mixed with quartz rock, both of which readily respond to intelligent treat- 
ment. The flat lands along the James river. Rivanna and Hardware rivers, 
and the many creeks which traverse the county, are very fertile and pro- 
ductive, yielding large crops of wheat, corn and hay; and perhaps the finest 
grain belt known to this country includes the lower part of this county. 

The leading farm products are wheat, corn, oats, rye. grass, fruit and 
tobacco, the latter being the most important and profitable crop. The soil 
and climate seem especially adapted to the growth of tobacco, large quan- 
tities being produced annually, embracing not only the famous sun-cured, 
but the finest grade of shipping and mahogany wrappers. For fruits, large 
and small, and vegetables of all kind, this county is well adapted. 

Grasses of various kinds do well. Herds grass (red top) is in some 
localities indigenous, and red clover, timothy and orchard grass grow luxu- 
riantly on good soil, or when properly treated with manures or commercial 
fertilizer. The rolling and well-drained lands of this county, pure water, 
and mild climate make it a pastoral section. Conditions are especially 
adapted to raising sheep. 



Hand Bool' of Virginia 131 



This county is believed to be rich in minei'als — gold, silver, copper, talc, 
soapstone, iron, building stone, slate, etc. This wealth is, in the main, un- 
developed. In the opinion of skilled mineralogists rich results are promised. 
The building stones of this county are especially favorably reported. Tel- 
lurium, the oldest gold mine in Virginia, is situated in this county. There 
is also valuable timber, such as oak, poplar, pine and hickory. 

The James River Division of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad passes 
along the southern border of the county, giving easy and quick commu- 
nication with the cities of the east and west, and the Virginia Air Line, 
passing through the center, gives additional communication with the cities 
east and west, and also quick communication with Washington and the 
cities north. Rural road construction and upkeep receives continued and 
growing attention. Good local gravel can be obtained for this work from 
gravel bars in the Rivanna river. 

Community spirit is good. There is a County Fair Association. Churches 
and schools are conveniently located. The county is served by four banks. 

Palmyra, the county seat, is an attractive, enterprising village, located 
in the center of the county, on the Rivanna river and the Virginia Air Line 
Railroad. It contains wheat and corn mills, the Bank of Fluvanna, Inc., a 
normal high school, stores, churches and a newspaper. 

Fork Union, on the southside of the county, near the Virginia Air Line 
Railroad, is a tobacco centre, with a strong bank. A flourishing military 
academy is located here. Columbia is another town of importance, with 
two banks, in the extreme southeastern part of the county. 

The striking features outlined in this sketch are convincin; proof of 
Fluvanna's position among the splendid counties of the Pienmon'; section. 

FRANIvLIN — This county was formed from Henry and Bedford in 
1784, and lies at the eastern base of the Blue Ridge mountains, in the south- 
ern part of the State, 140 miles southeast of Richmond, it is thirty miles 
long and about twenty miles wide, containing an area of 6;)() square miles. 
The population is about 32,000. 

The surface is rolling and in some parts mountainous. The soil, chiefly 
a red clay, is very fertile. This is one of the most productive of the Pied- 
mont counties, producing large crops of wheat, corn, rye, oats, hay and to- 
bacco, especially tobacco, in the southern and eastern portion of the county. 
In the extreme western portion fruit is the leading industry — apples, pears, 
peaches, plums, apricots, cherries, grapes. First prizes were awarded the 
Pippins grown in Franklin at the Buffalo, St. Louis, and Jamestown Exposi- 
tions. The growing and canning tomatoes is an important industry in the 
central section of the county. 

Grazing facilities are good. Live stock, poultry and dairying are enter- 
ing into general farm practices along modern methods. A number of dairy- 
men furnish milk directly to the Roanoke market, others supplying a cheese 
factory, a recent county enterprise. A poultry association is an active oi-- 
ganization. 

Forest products are the sources of a considerable revenue in the form 
of valuable oak lumber, cross ties, cord wood, telegraph poles, etc., and much 
tan bark. The minerals of the county are iron, asbestos, mica, granite and 
soapstone, chief of which is iron, which is found in inexhaustible supply 
and has been successfully worked. 

The Staunton river on the northeast, and the Pig and Blackwater, with 
their numerous tributaries, afford ample drainage and excellent water power, 
as is evidenced by the flour mills, saw mills, and wood-working establish- 
ments located thereon. 

Transportation is furnished by the Franklin and Pittsylvania and Nor- 
folk and Western Railroads, which cross the county from north to south. 
The county roads are fair and improvement is continuous. A National 
Highway is now being surveyed through the county. 

A large number of churches represent the different denominations. 
Schools are well located and improving in efficiency. 



132 Department of Agriculture 

Rural improvements are noted throughout the county. Farmers' or- 
ganizations and associations are strong. The people are interested in better 
schools. Various denominations are represented in the churches of the 
•county. An agricultural and manual labor training school, under the aus- 
pices of the Methodist Church, is located at Ferrum. 

Rocky Mount, the county seat, is the largest town. Its altitude is 1,132 
teet. Ferrum and Boone Mill are other towns of interest with strong State 
banks. 

FREDERICK — Formed from Orange in 17 3 8, Frederick is the 
northernmost county of the State, at the head of the beautiful Shenandoah 
Valley, 116 miles north of Richmond. It is twenty miles long and about 
eighteen miles wide, having an area of 425 square miles. Population of the 
county, not including the city of Winchester, is about 14,000. 

The middle part of this county is interspersed with frequent mountain 
ranges, with valley lands between, but the surface generally is undulating. 
There are belts of gray slate formation, also of limestone, the latter em- 
bracing one of the most productive sections of the State. This is one of the 
most productive counties of the famous Valley of Virginia, noted for its 
fine land and good farming. 

Farm products are wheat, corn, rye, hay and oats, of which fine crops 
are raised. Fruit growing, grain farming and stock raising constitute the 
most profitable industries of the county, market advantages being most 
■excellent. This is one of the finest live stock counties in the State. Horses 
and cattle in large numbers and of superior quality are raised and shipped, 
to northern markets. Dairying has been fostered and a convenient market 
tor the product is furnished by a commercial creamery which has been in 
successful operation in Winchester for twenty-five years. 

In the value of orchard products this county stands in the front ranks. 
Some sections of the county are becoming vast orchards, especially in the 
vicinity of Winchester. There are 275 apple orchards in this county pro- 
ducing over 250,000 barrels. There is splendid co-operation between the 
business men and fruit growers of the county. A cold storage plant with 
a capacity of 80,000 barrels, and a daily capacity of 48 tons of ice, furnishes 
ample storage facilities, and in addition markets ice throughout the district. 
This plant is located in Winchester. There is also a plant producing 300,000 
barrels of vinegar, which enables growers to dispose of culls at a profit, and 
a large apple by-product factory adds a further stimulus to fruit growing. 
Two large factories and several smaller plants produce more than 250,000 
apple barrels, and no barrels are brought in from a distance to handle the 
■crop. Three banks specialize in serving agricultural interests. 

Minerals found are iron, coal and limestone. Iron is found in North 
mountain of good quality. Coal is of anthracite formation. Timbers are 
oak, hickory, walnut, pine, locust and ash. Several wood-using industries in 
Winchester furnish a ready market for forest products. 

The railroads are the Valley Branch of the Baltimore and Ohio, the 
Southern, Norfolk and Western, and the Cumberland Valley, extending from 
Winchester to Pennsylvania, affording a great through route of travel and 
traffic from east to northeast to south and southwest, as well as most excel- 
lent facilities for trade and travel northward. The public roads and turn- 
pikes are exceptionally good. The famous Valley Turnpike, a part of the 
National Automobile Highway, penetrates this county. Eight other turn- 
pikes converging from Winchester afford unusual facilities for communi- 
■cation with adjoining agricultural sections. 

There are numerous fine mineral springs in this county, the principal 
of which are the Rock Enon Springs and the Jordan White Sulphur, which 
have an extended reputation and are liberally patronized. The climate is 
healthful and salubrious and water unsurpassed. Churches are numerous 
and the schools are of high order, Frederick having been long known for 
its superior educational advantages. 

Winchester, a city of 7,000 people and the county seat, is situated at the 
lower or northern end of the lovely Shenandoah Valley. Her principal 



Hand Book of Virginia 133 

streets are well paved and lighted. She has a splendid water system and 
sanitary sewerage with filtration and disposal plants. In addition to her 
important manufactures, flour, meal and mill feed, sash, doors, blinds, 
lumber, marble, granite, a steam bakery, woolen and knitting mills, and 
apple industries previously mentioned, this is a city of beautiful homes and 
churches, numerous well equipped public and private schools and splendid 
public buildings, and excellent hotels. Marks of wealth and progress appear 
on every hand. The few remaining scars of the terrible struggle of the 
sixties, in which this city played so important a part, have been turned into 
places of beauty and objects of surpassing historic interest. 

The progress and general advancement of this county is most marked. 
It is now . conceded to be the largest apple-growing county in the State. 
The soil is of the very best for apple growing. Winchester is the execu- 
tive headquarters of the State Horticultural Society. The Frederick County 
Breeders' Association, and other similar organizations are potent factors 
in agricultural progress. 

(jITjES — This county was formed in 1806 from ^Monroe and Taze- 
well, and was named in honor of the Honorable W. B. Giles, representative 
in Congress from this State, 1790-1802, and Governor of Virginia in 1827. 
It lies on the western border of the State, about 185 miles southwest from 
Richmond, and has an area of 349 square miles. The population is 12,500. 

All its borders, north, south, east and west, are mountainous; the middle 
rolling, about fifty per cent, of area being under cultivation. The soil is 
limestone and clay and generally very fertile. The farm products are corn, 
wheat, rye, hay, etc. The crop of maple sugar, syrup and sorghum is worthy 
of mention, especially the sorghum. 

The county is well adapted to fruit growing, and considerable attention 
is being paid to this industry, especially to the apple crop, large quantities 
of which are shipped, adding greatly to the revenue of the people. Grape 
culture is also coming to be very extensive, and the cherry grows in great 
abundance, being apparently a native of this climate and soil. Some very 
fine peaches are grown, and in large quantity, when proper attention is 
given to their culture and protected from the borer. All fruits, berries and 
vegetables (which are grown in quantity and great perfection) find a ready 
and remunerative market in the coal fields near by. From the same source 
there is a constant demand for the dairy products, butter and cheese, and 
poultry and eggs, large quantities of which are produced. 

The county is also splendidly adapted to grazing and the production of 
hay. All the grasses do well, and in some sections blue grass grows sponta- 
neously. As a result of these favorable conditions, livestock raising is one 
of the most important industries of the county. Large numbers of fine cattle 
and lambs are annually shipped to the northern markets, and some of the 
former sold for the export trade. Giles is an exceedingly fine corn county, 
which fact renders the pork and bacon product very valuable also. 

The minerals of this county are destined to be a source of greatest 
wealth. Iron of fine quality is found in almost every section, with man- 
ganese, zinc, lead, barytes, and variegated marble. Limestone is also found, 
especially along the river and railroad, in quantity and quality for lime or 
building purposes. 

Railroad transportation is furnished by the New River division of the 
Norfolk and Western and two lateral lines, one the Big Stony, extending up 
Big Stony creek a distance of twelve or fifteen miles; the other the New 
River, Holston and Western. 

No description of this county would be complete without a reference to 
its notable physical features as displayed in its grand mountains and mag- 
nificent scenery. Towards the central part of the county is the lofty and 
beautiful Angel's Rest, about 4,000 feet above the sea level and 2,000 feet 
above the river below. 

Opposite to Angel's Rest, on the northeast side of the river, is Butte 
mountain, of the same general formation and elevation. Flanking the latter 






1^ 




i 



4 



1 t 














Hand Boole of Yirginia 135 

on the south is Salt Pond mountain, with its Bald Knob towering nearly 
5,000 feet above the sea. Answering this mountain in position is the Sugar 
Run mountain on the opposite or southwest side. Toward the southern side 
of the county are the important iron-bearing parallel series composed of 
Spruce, John's Creek and Gap mountain on the northeast side of New River, 
and of Buckeye, Guinea and Walker's mountains on the ~ southwest side of 
the river. Gap and Walker's mountain answering to each other in line of 
continuation. But the most noted and grandest scenery of all is Mountain 
Lake and the Cascades, and Bald Knob nearby. Mountain Lake is a cele- 
brated health and pleasure resort on the top of Salt Pond mountain, and 
truly it may be called the silver gem of the Alleghanies, as it is almost on 
the summit of the highest mountain of Virginia, at an elevation of more 
than 4,000 feet above the sea. Besides the pure mountain air and water, 
its chief attraction is a lake of clear, transparent water three-quarters of 
a mile long by one-half mile wide, with a surface area of about 250 acres 
and an average depth of about 60 feet. Another notable point in this galaxy 
of sublime scenery is Bald Knob, three-fourths of a mile in the rear of 
Mountain Lake, and 500 feet higher; so high that scarcely anything grows 
on the lofty summit from which landmarks of five different States are 
visible. 

In climate, health and water this county ranks with the most favored 
portions of the State; churches are numerous and well attended; schools 
excellent, public and graded; mail facilities and telephone service reach to 
every section of the county; financial condition highly favorable. The people 
are moral, sober, industrious, enterprising and proud of their county, which 
is fast becoming one of the most progressive in the State. 

Pearisburg, the county seat, is situated in the shadow almost of the 
beautiful Angel's Rest, one mile from Pearisburg station on the Norfolk 
and Western Railroad. It contains churches of various denominations, good 
schools, hotels, stores, fraternal orders, a newspaper, a national bank, etc. 
Its altitude is 1,547 feet. 

Other towns in the county are Newport, Staffordsville and Eggleston, 
important business centers. 

Narrows is an enterprising town of 1.500 people on New River with 
three railroads, two large plants operated by a tanning company, flour mill, 
electric power plant, bank and numerous stores. 

Pembroke, with town and community of 600 people, is situated on New 
River in the center of a thrifty, intelligent people. It has excellent railroad 
facilities making large shipments of lumber, tan bark, extract, meat and 
poultry products. There are five stores, an excellent bank, fine high school, 
churches and good roads. Pembroke is the shipping point for Mountain 
Lake traffic. 

GLOUCESTER — This county was formed in 1661 from York, and 
named after Gloucestshire, England, from which place most of the early 
settlers came. Located in the eastern part of the State, thirty-eight miles 
from Richmond, it is twenty-seven miles long and eight miles wide, contain- 
ing 253 square miles. The population, 1910 census, was 12.477. 

On the water courses — Piankitank, North, Ware, Severn and York 
rivers — the lands are low and level; further back they are higher and un- 
dulating; but no portion of the county is very far from deep water. The 
soil is generally a sandy loam, with rich alluvial lands along its many 
streams. Farm products are hay, corn, oats, rye, wheat, soja beans and peas. 
The soil and climate are admirably adapted to trucking, the principal ones 
raised being Irish and sweet potatoes, peas, cantaloupes and watermelons. 

Fruit culture is receiving more attention, and will prove profitable with 
intelligent care, all fruits being grown to some extent. 

Increased attention is being given to the raising of stock and cultivation 
of the grasses, they growing well on both the low grounds and the uplands. 

Market advantages are good, having direct communication by daily water 
transportation to Richmond, Norfolk and Baltimore, and daily connection, 
via Old Point to all Northern markets. The work on rural roads in this 
county is proving satisfactory. 



Uand Book of Virginia 137 



Owing to the great extent of water front, Gloucester is largely engaged 
in the oyster industry, and the quality of her oysters ranks with the best. 
The fish industry is very extensive and valuable, employing large capital and 
labor, and bringing to citizens and to the State large revenue. 

The county is crossed thoroughly by a system of telephones, with a 
central office at the county seat, connecting with long distance and Western 
Union telegraph to Richmond. Mail facilities are good, every postoffice 
having daily service. Educational conditions are excellent, the county having 
several high schools and many graded schools. 

Gloucester, the county seat, located near the head of Ware River, is a 
prosperous village, containing two banks, garages, general stores, a drug 
store. Masonic Temple, a high school, many fine homes and a well equipped 
hotel. On the court green stands the old Poor Debtors jail, fine county build- 
ings and a handsome monument to the Confederate dead. Near the village 
is located the grounds of the Gloucester Agricultural Association, with a 
well equipped auditorium and exhibit building, where the annual fair is held. 

This county has some of the finest estates in Virginia, and is noted for 
its wealth and refinement. It is accepted as the place of the death and burial 
of Nathaniel Bacon, the leader of the rebellion against Governor Sir Wil- 
liam Berkley in 1676. And tradition has it that in this county, on the York 
river, Pocahontas, the beautiful Indian Princess, saved the life of Captain 
John Smith. To-day she offers good opportunity to the homeseeker as 
evidenced by the development and prosperity of her people. 

GOOCHIjAND' — Named in honor of one of Virginia's colonial gov- 
ernors, this county was formed from Henrico in 1727. This is a central 
county, lying along the northern bank of the James river for a distance of 
about forty miles, with a width of about ten miles, and contains an area of 
296 square miles. It is situated thirteen miles west of Richmond. Popula- 
tion, 9,500 and altitude, 143 feet. 

The surface of the county is undulating; soil of a gray or chocolate 
loam, with stiff red clay subsoil. On the water courses the soil is very fertile 
and productive. The uplands, though not so good, are easily improved, and 
well adapted to the cultivation of tobacco. Farm products are corn, wheat, 
oats, tobacco and hay; corn, wheat and tobacco being the chief — especially 
wheat and tobacco. Large crops of hay are also grown. Market advantages 
are good, by rail and market carts, to Richmond. Fruits, vegetables and 
poultry are produced in considerable quantity by reason of this fact. 

The grasses, clovers, and other legumes do well, resulting in the intro- 
duction of improved stock and increase in dairying. The forests yield a 
fine quality of timber— oak, hickory, poplar, cedar, ash— and the manu- 
facture of timber is an important industry. 

Minerals found are gold, coal, iron, mica and plumbago. There is a fine 
mica mine near Irwin station, in the lower end of the county. Petroleum 
and naptha have been found, and there are indications of oil in considerable 
quantity. Mineral waters are alkaline, chalybeate, sulphur, iron and lithia, 
the most important of which are the fine mineral springs of East Lake. 

The James River Division of the Chesapeake and Ohio, following the 
windings of the James river on the southern border of the county for over 
forty miles, furnishes ample and convenient transportation. The State Aux- 
iliary Road traverses the full length of the county. 

Farmers' organizations are active. General condition of farms is re- 
ported favorably to date, with rapid development in progress. Graded and 
high schools are well located; churches are numerous; and telephone and 
mail facilities ample. 

Goochland Courthouse, the county seat, is located in the southern part 
of the county, thirty miles west of Richmond, one mile north of Maidens 
depot, on James River Division of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway This 
is a small country village. 

The favorable location of this county— proximity to Richmond, the State 
capital— Its fine climate, excellent water, responsive soil, all present induce- 
ments for immigration and investments. 



Hand Booh of Virginia 139 

CiKAYSOX — Th's county was organized in 17 93 from Wythe, and 
named in honor of Honorable William Grayson, who was a member of the 
Virginia Convention of 1788, which adopted the Federal Constitution. The 
county is situated on the southern border of the State, 265 miles southwest 
from Richmond, and contains 438 square miles. The present population is 
about 20,846. 

The western portion of the surface is mountainous, the central and 
eastern parts lying in a fertile valley, comprising a fine farming section. 
The soil is loam and gray granite, with clay subsoil. The farm products 
are wheat, corn, rye, oats, buckwheat, potatoes, etc. This is also an exceed- 
ingly fine fruit country, varieties, such as apples, peaches, pears, quinces, 
cherries, plums and grapes, grow to perfection. It seems to be the native 
home of the apple, which is noted for superior flavor and excellence. 

This is a fine grass section, producing a considerable amount of hay, 
and having excellent grazing facilities. Large numbers of cattle, sheep and 
hogs are marketed annually. Recent developments show considerable in- 
crease in dairying. Eight or ten cheese factories are now in active opera- 
tion. 

Of the counties lying on the Blue Ridge plateau of immeasurable mine- 
ral wealth, this is one of the most important, with its varied deposits of 
gold, silver, iron, copper, lead, mica, asbestos, granite, limestone and free- 
stone. Of these, iron, copper, granite and asbestos are the most important. 

The forests contain a great variety of the timbers indigenous to this 
section, large quantities of which have been marketed. Extract wood and 
smaller acreages of timber yet remain. 

Grayson is splendidly watered by the New river and its numerous tribu- 
taries. The streams are especially adapted to every specie of game fish. 
The mountain trout is very common in nearly all the streams and the famous 
New river catfish reaches its highest perfection in these waters. Grayson 
may be considered not only one of the best watered counties in the State, 
but as having the finest water power, New river furnishing more than 1,000- 
horse power per mile, according to government survey, and all the creeks 
affording excellent power, every mile or two, for purposes of milling and 
manufacturing. 

This county has the distinction of having the highest mountains in the 
State, the Balsam, or Mount Rodgers, being the highest, and White Top, 
the next in altitude, 5,530 feet above the sea level. And for natural scenery, 
it is not surpassed in the State. Added to these other attractions are nume- 
rous fine sulphur springs. 

School and church facilities are good and progressing rapidly. Com- 
modious school buildings, comfortable churches and handsome residences 
greet the eye on every side. The Agricultural School for the Fifth Congres- 
sional District is located at Elk Creek, a- very handsome brick building and 
a fine school. 

Railroad connections in east end of the county are effected at Fries 
and Galax by a branch of the Norfolk and Western Railway, and at Trout- 
dale in the western end by a branch of the same line. Road improvement 
is under construction — about twenty-five miles completed. The financial 
•condition of the county is good. Telephone and mail facilities are adequate. 

Independence, the county seat, is a country village of about 400 inhabi- 
tants, situated in a fertile valley on a branch of New river, a little east of 
the center of the county. 

GREENE — This county was named after General Nathaniel Greene, 
of the Revolution, and was formed from the western part of Orange in 1838. 
It is situated in the north central part of the State, sixty-six miles north- 
west from Richmond, and lies on the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge moun- 
tain. It contains 150 square miles, and has a population of 7,324. 

Lying against the Blue Ridge, the county contains some mountain spurs 
in the western section, but it is not for the most part mountainous, as one 
might assume. In proportion to area it has more creek land than any county 



140 Department of Agriculture 

in Piedmont Virginia. These valleys are very fertile, and, on acoimt of 
local ranges and mountain * spurs, are only slightly affected by droughts. 
The soil is a red and gray loam and very productive. Corn, wheat, oats, 
rye, and the grasses are cultivated. On the mountain sides considerable 
buckwheat is grown. The leading farm products are corn, wheat, cattle, 
including hogs and sheep, poultry and eggs. Fruits, such as apples, peaches, 
pears, cherries, and the smaller fruits, are raised in abundance, and are of 
good quality. The county is well adapted to stock raising, especially sheep. 
Attention to live stock raising is on the increase. Blue grass, so needed to 
success in this industry, abounds and insures pasturage. 

The timber tracts of the county are still extensive, though the timber 
industry has made great inroads on the forests in the last few years. Much 
bark, ties and quer-citron are shipped to market. All finished timber finds 
a ready home market, farmers improving domiciles and out-buildings ex- 
tensively in the past few years. Mineral deposits are copper and iron. 

The Southern rairoad runs within a few miles of the eastern border of 
the county. The direct route for the State proposed highway from Harri- 
sonburg to Richmond traverses the county from east to west, and this thor- 
oughfare will be one of the first built when this work is begun. A lumber 
road, now being surveyed, will touch the northeastern end of the county, 
and should be in operation during 1919. However, with the building of a 
State highway a good thoroughfare will connect the county with Barbours- 
ville, on the Southern Railway, about four miles distant from the border in 
Orange county. 

Educational advantages are offered by graded schools and one-room 
schools located accessibly. Religious denominations are well represented. 
The Episcopal church has several large missions in the mountains. The 
Blue Ridge Industrial School, of the Episcopal church, is located in this 
county. 

Stanardsville, the county seat, is located in the center of the county, 
thirteen miles from Barboursville, with a population of 500. The Bank of 
Greene, with resources aggregating $169,719.00, is located here, for which a 
creditable building was erected at a cost of $12,000. Ruckersville, in the 
eastern part of the county, is a village of 150 people. 

Farm lands may still be bought at a reasonable price in Greene that will 
yield the owner well for his outlay and effort. Notwithstanding the county 
is not directly served by a railroad, rural road improvement under con- 
struction will greatly obviate this disadvantage, rendering marketing easy. 
There are many examples of farmers who started from the beginning as 
it were and now enjoy a competence made from the land. For its size, there 
is no county in the State where so many automobiles are owned. 

GREENSVILLE — This is one of the southern border counties, formed 
in 1780 from Brunswick, and situated forty-eight miles from Richmond and 
eighty miles west of the Atlantic ocean. It contains an area of 288 square 
miles. The population, 1910 census, was 11,890, with a healthy increase 
reported to date. 

The surface is level, or slightly rolling; the soil generally a sandy loam, 
easily tilled. Farm products are varied, including tobacco, corn, wheat, 
oats, cotton, peanuts, broom corn and sweet potatoes, the most important of 
which are cotton and peanuts. Tobacco is also one of the chief staples. 
Fruits of many varieties are cultivated, especially grapes and small fruits. 

Marl is the only mineral, but it is abundant and valuable as a fertilizer 
for some of the staple crops, especially peanuts. The forest products are 
oak, pine, sycamore, poplar, cedar and chestnut. The manufacture of pine 
lumber is an important industry. 

The Nottoway river on the north and the Meherrin in the center, with 
their tributaries, afford an ample water supply and abundance of fish, be- 
sides ample water power for numerous grain mills. Transportation facili- 
ties are good, four railroads — the Atlantic Coast Line, the Seaboard Air Line, 
the Virginian and the Southern Railway traversing the county. There is 



Hand Booh of Virginia 141 

considerable mileage of improved roads and more under construction. The 
local gravel has proven very successful. 

Emporia is the county seat, with a population of 2,500. This is the in- 
tersection of the Atlantic Coast Line and Southern Railway and is a town 
of considerable importance. Three strong banks are located here. A box 
mill and otheff woodworking establishments are among its industries. 

The educational facilities of the county are good; churches are numer- 
ous; the climate is pleasant; the farmers are well organized, and the gen- 
eral condition of the farms reflects progress and improvement. The home- 
seeker may find a good investment in Greensville among a people kind and 
hospitable. 

HALJFAX — Halifax, one of the largest and most important cotm- 
ties in the State, was formed from Lunenburg in 1752. It lies in the heart 
of the finest tobacco growing section of the State, midway from east to west 
of the border line, ninety miles southwest from Richmond. The population, 
according t© 191^ census, was 40,040, with an estimated increase of ten per 
cent. 

Roughly speaking, the county is triangular in shape and contains 806 
square miles. Tlie surface is rolling, forming a part of the great undulating: 
plain which gently rises from the limit of tidewater to the low, broken ranges, 
of hills that make the outline of the Blue Ridge mountains. The soil of the- 
ridge lands is a soft gray, sandy character; that on the streams is a loaja q£ 
great fertility. 

Farm products are corn, tobacco, wheat, oats, rye, and hay; corn and 
tobacco leading. Much of the tobacco grown is of the finest grades of bright 
wrapper. Almost every farmer is engaged in tobacco growing, although a 
diversifi cation of interests is proving most profitable. Experienced and pro- 
gressive farmers have discovered that this is a stock country also. The 
raising of fine stock, cattle, sheep, hogs and horses, is being conducted suc- 
cessfully and profitably. 

Minerals are iron, copper, slate, plumbago, manganese, gold and mica, 
several of which have been developed to some extent. Gold has been profit- 
ably mimed at Red Bank. Timber is plentiful, hickory, oak, pine and poplar. 

The county is well watered. The Staunton river forms the longest side 
of the triangular shape of the county — from northwest to southeast. The 
Dan river flows through the southern part of the county, making a junction; 
with tlie Stannton at a southeastern angle of the county, and from this 
point to tidewater, the united rivers are known as the Roanoke. Water- 
power is such that the two great rivers might be lined with mills and fac^ 
tories; two lesser rivers also and smaller streams could furnish almost as 
much power again. 

Most excellent railroad facilities traverse this county. A division of 
the Southern Railway runs through the county from the northeast, curving 
to the southwest. Another division skirts the southern boundary of the 
county, between the Virginia-North Carolina line and the Dan river. . The 
Lynchburg and Durham Division of the Norfolk and Western bisects the 
county from north to south, and the Virginian Railway, from Norfolk to the 
coal fields, parallels the Staunton river to the north. Pew counties in Vir- 
ginia have more railroad mileage than Halifax. 

The county had considerable mileage in gray soil roads, many miles of 
which were in short length. Several of these sections have been connected 
in a continuous highway from Brookneal (Campbell county), on the north, 
through Houston and South Boston, to Virgilina, in the southeastern part 
of the county. Worn-out roads are steadily reconstructed. 

The leading towns of the county are South Boston, Houston, Virgilina 
and Clover. 

South Boston, the county metropolis, with a population of 5.000. a little 
south of the center, at the intersection of the Southern and Norfolk and 
Western Railways, is the center of a district rich in agricultural resources. 



142 



Department of Agriculture 



and famed throughout the world for its tobaccos. This is a town of abundant 
promise for furtlier development as a jobbing and manufacturing point. 
There are ten tobacco factories here. South Boston manufactures wagons, 
buggies, shirts, patent medicines, lumber and cotton fabrics. She has a legi- 
timate jobbing territory covering seven or eight counties. 

Virgilina is a town of 600 inhabitants, located on the State line near 
the center of the most productive portion of the Virgilina mining district of 
the State. Houston, the county seat, is an attractive residence town of 
1,000 inhabitants, situated on the Norfolk and Western Railway in the midst 
of a fine agricultural section. Clover is another important town, on the 
Southern Railway. 

HANOVER — Located in the central part of Virginia, Hanover was 
formed from New Kent in 1720, and lies between the Pamunkey and Chick- 
ahominy rivers, five miles north of Richmond. The area is 478 square miles, 
altitude ranging from 100 to 300 feet. Present population is estimated to 
be 18,900. 




Cutting a Field of luxuriant alfalfa 



The surface is level in the eastern part and undulating in central and 
western part, the soil varying from tlie fine truckers' sandy loam to the 
chocolate and clay loams of Piedmont. The leading farm products are corn, 
tobacco (sun-cured), wheat, peas, beans, clovers, grasses, alfalfa and truck 
crops. Truck crops are among the most important. The eastern half of 
the county is devoted almost entirely to trucks. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, 
melons, kale, spinach, berries and other small fruits reach the highest state 
of development in this county. For sweet potatoes, watermelons and berries, 
this good old county is famous. Truck farming may be considered the most 



Hand Booh of Virginia 



143 



profitable industry of tlie county, the more valuable on account of proximity 
to Richmond and other markets. 

There are a number of dairies in the county doing a good business, and 
cattle, hogs and poultry raisers are decidedly on the increase. 

Lumbering is an important industry, as tlie growth of pine is very 
rapid. Other timbers are oak, hickory, ash, elm and poplar. There are two 
excelsior mills in tlie county and numerous saw mills. Ties and lumber are 
shipped from this county in large quantities. Cord wood is also a consider- 
able industry, shipped to nearby cities. 

Minerals are mica, feldspar, asbestos, phosphate of lime and gneiss, 
also marl of several varieties and greensand are found here in large quan- 
tities and are very profitably used on the soils. The county is abundantly 
watered by the North and South Anna, Parnunkey and Chickahominy rivers, 
and their branches. 




A modern dairy barn and silo 



Two railroads traverse the county, the Chesapeake and Ohio, from east 
to west, and the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac, from north to 
south. Automobile routes thread the county in every direction. The Rich- 
mond-Washington highway traverses the county and a recently established 
government post road. The entire county is very much alive to road build- 
ing, and a large force of men is kept constantly employed building and re- 
pairing roads. 

School advantages are excellent. There are eight high schools, besides 
a large number of graded and one-room schools. Churches of all denomina- 
tions are accessibly located throughout the county. 

Ashland, seventeen miles north of Richmond, is the largest town, with 
a population of 1,800. While mainly a residential town, with many attrac- 



144 DepartTnent of Agriculture 

tive homes, it has an excellent trade with considerable business operations. 
Randolph-Macon College for men, one of the oldest and most noted schools 
in the State, is located here. 

Hanover, the county seat, is a pleasant country village, located on the 
Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad, in a prosperous farming 
section. 

This sketch w^ould be incomplete vi^ithout reference to Hanover as being 
the birthplace of both Patrick Henry and Henry Clay, two of the most 
eminent orators and statesmen this country has ever produced. The home 
of Thomas Nelson Page, the gifted author and Ambassador to Italy, is lo- 
cated in the western portion of this county. The present is however not 
dimmed by the lustre of the past. A progressive spirit animates the county. 
Farmers organizations are active, there being twelve locals in the county. 
The Farm Loan Association has a thriving organization. Agricultural prac- 
tices are up-to-date as reflected in the yields and general appearance of the 
farms. 

HENRICO — This county is one of the original shires into which Vir- 
ginia was divided in 1634. It is situated at the head of tidewater, on the 
north side of the James river, which divides it from Chesterfield, and south 
of the Chickahominy, which separates it from Hanover. Its length is twenty- 
seven miles, mean breadth about eight miles, containing 273 square miles, 
the greater portion of which is in cultivation. 

The surface is unlulatlng; the soil varying from light loam to stiff 
clay, is susceptible of a high state of cultivation. The river lands are the 
most productive, best improved, and command the highest price. The lands 
upon the James river are generally alluvial, of a deep chocolate color, and 
are among the best wheat lands of the State. 

Farm products are varied and extensive, consisting principally of corn, 
oats, wheat and tobacco; barley and rye being raised to some extent. The 
grasses, clover and timothy succeed well, and hay is an important crop. 
There are large nurseries, orchards and vineyards in this county. Market 
gardening and trucking are very extensively carried on and rank among the 
most profitable industries of the county. 

Henrico is sometimes called the "Dairy County of Virginia," and this 
name is rightly applied, for the dairy interest is largely developed here. 
The city of Richmond is supplied largely from dairies within the county, 
and the city has held the reputation of having "the most wholesome and 
pure milk" in the country. Sanitary and up-to-date barns are found on 
«very farm. A large number of herds of dairy cattle is registered, while 
nearly everyone has some registered dairy cattle. Many of the herds are 
tuberculin tested and are on the accredited list. Alfalfa fields may be found 
on nearly all dairy farms and ensilage plays an important part in the dairy 
ration. 

Large farms on the James river are investing in a number of beef cat- 
tle, some farms having herds from 300 to 400. A number of farmers are 
establishing hog farms, and poultry plants are numerous, particularly near 
the city of Richmond. 

The timbers are pine, oak, ash, maple, cedar, hickory, walnut, chestnut 
and cypress — all in limited quantity, however — the timber interest not be- 
ing an important one in this county whose acreage is largely under cultiva- 
tion. The proximity of the coal and lumber yards of Richmond relieves any 
inconvenience that might arise from this fact. 

The county is drained through two systems, the drainage line running 
through the center of the county, the James river on the southern border 
and the Chickahominy on the northern, with their tributaries furnishing 
abundant water supply and drainage. The lower portion of the county en- 
joys the advantages afforded by water navigation on the James, and also its 
excellent shad, sturgeon and herring fisheries. 

Transportation facilities are excellent, the county having six railroads 



Hand Book of Virginia 



145 



radiating in different directions. Water shipping facilities are furnished by 
the James river; two inter-urban railway lines are within its bounds; and its 
roads are good, most of them macadamized or constructed from sand clay. 
Its method of keeping the roads in repair by regular system is hard to 
improve. 

Rural districts are well supplied with public and high schools. The 
buildings are of modern type and so distributed that every child has an op- 
portunity to attend. Telephones are within reach of practically every 
farmer's home and a great number of country people have taken advantage 
of the system. Farmers' organizations, dairy associations, corn, poultry, pig 
and canning clubs are numerous, reflecting the progressive, co-operatfve 
spirit of the people. The scarcity of farm labor under present abnormal 
conditions has been obviated by the introduction of many tractors and other 
labor-saving machinery. Agricultural practices within late years are build- 
ing up the soil; fields are well prepared for each crop; legumes are used for 
soil improvement. On every hand up-to-date, progressive farming greets the 
eye of the interested homeseeker. 

Richmond, the county seat and the capital of the State, is situated on the 
border of the county, on the north bank of the James river, at the head of 
tidewater. The city has a metropolitan population of 191,000 people. A po- 



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litical and commercial center from the early Colonial days, Richmond's 
strategic position as the gateway to the South was recognized in the selection 
of the city as the capital of the Southern Confederacy. This city holds a 
pre-eminent position in the commercial and industrial development of the 
South. She is a logical market for the exchange of southern products for 
those of the north and west. Her list of manufactures shows a diversity that 
is probably not surpassed by any city of the same size in the country. Rich- 
mond is a national reserve city, and her primacy in the finance of this sec- 
tion was established when she became the seat of the Federal Reserve Bank 
for the Fifth District. And she is now, as she has always been, a delightful 



14G Department of Agriculture 

social and educational center, not unmindful of lier splendid heritage of his- 
toric and patriotic associations, organizations with memberships which in- 
clude many of the leading men and women of the city being specially charged 
with the duty of preserving these priceless antiquities. 

HENRY — Named in honor of Patrick Henry, this county was formed 
in 1777 from Pittsylvania. It is situated on the southern border of the 
State, 180 miles southwest from Richmond. The county is nearly a square, 
containing 444 square miles, with a population of 18,459, according to 1910 
census, and an estimated increase of 15 per cent, to the present. 

The surface is undulating, and in parts hilly and mountainous. This is 
the southern Piedmont section where the gray and red soils meet. The red 
clay soils are fertile producing good crops of corn, wheat and tobacco, the 
leading farm products. The latter is the staple crop, the finest bright quality 
being raised. The numerous tobacco curing barns scattered over the county 
give the appearance of a continuous country village. The varieties of tobac- 
co grown in Henry are noted for their superior quality, and quality con- 
sidered, this is one of the finest tobacco counties in America. 

Grass does well in this soil, and numbers of horses, cattle and sheep are 
raised. There has also been considerable increase in dairying in this county. 
Fruits of the usual kinds do well, especially apples, peaches and grapes; also, 
nectarines, apricots, and figs have been grown. The apiarist finds here ex- 
cellent conditions for bee-keeping. 

Forest products are oak, poplar and pine, the manufacture of timber 
being an important industry. Limestone, mica, asbestos, granite, soap- 
stone are found in paying qualities, and the iron ore is inexhaustible. There 
are also chalybeate and alum water, but undeveloped. 

The county is traversed from north to south and from east to west by 
its lines of railway, the Danville and Western and Norfolk and Western, 
furnishing ready means of communication to markets and giving impetus 
to its agriculture and trade. Roads compare favorably with other counties 
in this section. There are fifty miles of improved roads. Some sections of the 
county are plentifully supplied with gray, gritty soils which are suitable for 
road-surfacing purposes. Smith and Mayo rivers, with their numerous 
branches afford an ample water supply and good water power. Numerous 
flour mills, saw mills and factories are located on these waters. 

Martinsville, the county seat and largest town, has a population of 
about 5,000. One of the State Agricultural Experiment Stations is located 
near Martinsville. Large cotton mills, built by Marshall Field Company, are 
a recent industrial development at Bassett, a town of 1,000 people. Ridge- 
way is another prosperous town of 500 people. Other industries are furni- 
ture factories, tobacco factories and warehouses, an insulator pin factory, 
spoke and band factory, and other wood-using industries. The county is 
served by two banks, located at Ridgeway and Bassett. 

A salubrious climate, with comparatively mild winters and pleasant sum- 
mers, excellent freestone water, churches and schools numerous and con- 
venient, and progressive agricultural and industrial developments are out- 
standing features in the advantages offered by this county. 

HIGHLAND — Formed in 18 47 from Bath and Pendleton, this county 
is northwest from Richmond, 150 miles. It is nearly a square of about 
twenty miles each way, and contains 407 square miles. The population is 
5,900; elevation 3,008 at Monterey. 

The surface is mountainous, with very fertile valleys between, Crab- 
bottom being one of the finest bluegrass sections in the State. The soil is 
mainly limestone, about one-fourth of which is in cultivation. The mountains 
furnish fine range for young stock and sheep, upon which they grow and 
thrive well, stock raising and grazing being the most profitable industry 
in the county. 

Farm products are wheat, corn, oats, rye, buckwheat, butter, honey, 
cheese, dried fruits and maple sugar, leading the State in the last product 



Hand Booh of Vij^ginia 



147 



and fourth in buckwheat. The western portion of the county produces 
abundant crops of hay and grass wherever cleared, bluegrass, not inferior 
to that of the best lands of Kentucky, being indigenous to the soil. The 
grazing quality of this land can hardly be surpassed in the State; some of 
the best cattle marketed east and north are fattened in this county, and 
taken right from the grass, no corn feeding needed, large numbers being sold 
each year, some for export. The county is also splendidly adapted to sheep, 
large numbers of which are raised. 

Apples, pears, peaches and all fruits suited to the latitude can, with 
proper care and attention, be grown in this county. 

There is no railroad in the county. The nearest railroad station is 
Bartow, on the west side of the Alleghany mountains, twenty-three miles. 
But excellent auto truck and passenger service connects Monterey, in the 




A bunch of splendid cattle on blue grass in Highland county 

central portion of the county, with Staunton and points in West Virginia 
over the mountains, both routes being picturesque drives much frequented 
by tourists. This county receives more of the automobile fund than is 
necessary for maintenance and the balance is used for construction. 

Monterey, the county seat, is located in the central portion of the county, 
forty-six miles from Staunton. It is a very pretty little town of about 500 
people. Reflecting the enterprise of an intelligent and industrious citizen- 
ship, it has many of the modern conveniences of a city — modern water, 
sewer system and electric lights. There are a number of stores, two banks, 
handsome churches, splendid modern hotels, enjoying a large tourist patron- 
age as well as the fame of a summer and health resort, lumber manufactur- 
ing plants, mills, a newspaper, a six-thousand dollar Masonic temple, and 
excellent high schools. 

To those seeking a location in an unsurpassed agricultural and grazing 
section, in a fine climate, among excellent people. Highland county offers 
advantages second to none. 




M 
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g. 






Hand Hook of Virginia 149 

ISLE OF WIGHT — This county was one of the original shires into 
wliich Virginia was divided in 1634. It is situated on the south side of the 
lower James river, ninety-eight miles southeast of Richmond, but only fifty 
miles air line, and extends from James river, its northern boundary, to 
within eight miles of the North Carolina line. The county is thirty-five miles 
long with a mean width of about ten miles, containing an area of 352 
square miles and a population of 14,500, according to 1910 census, with a 
normal increase reported to date. 

The surface is generally level; the soil from gray medium to light 
sandy, easily tilled and productive. The soil and climate favor almost any 
crop grown in the South — corn, oats, wheat, peanuts, potatoes, cowpeas, soy- 
beans, timothy, orchard grass, vetch, alfalfa and clovers of many varieties. 
Velvet beans and cotton are also grown successfully. Large and small 
fruits, melons and vegetables, find here a soil and climate well adapted to 
their growth, large quantities of which are shipped. 

Poultry succeeds well, and game is abundant, the streams furnishing 
geese, ducks, swans, and other water fowls; the swamps, sora, woodcock and 
snipe. The fish and oyster industry is large and valuable, large quantities 
of fish being shipped to the northern markets. Trucks, fisheries, and the 
peanut crop constitute the most important productions in the county. 

Hogs are raised in considerable numbers and are one of the most valu- 
able crops on every farm, also. This county is the home of the celebrated 
"Smithfleld Ham." Nowhere else is the same quality produced. Dairying 
is another industry in which many of Isle of Wight's most progressive and 
successful farmers are engaged. There are several good herds of dairy cows 
owned in different sections of the county. Several pure-bred bulls have 
been introduced into herds within the last five years and good results ob- 
tained. This business will continue to grow. 

The forest products are many and varied. Oak, pine, poplar, gum and 
cypress are the principal woods used in the manufacture of lumber. Many 
mills are located about the county, and the manufacturing of timber into a 
marketable condition is a considerable industry. 

There are several farmers' organizations, each doing a good work in the 
eommunity it serves, the largest and most progressive of which has its 
headquarters in Smithfleld. This organization has a large membership which 
is constantly growing. Its manager and assistants are paid a salary, and 
buying and selling on a co-operative plan are practiced. This organization 
has become a powerful and most beneficial factor in the community. The 
educational and religious advantages of the county are of a high standard. 
Larger and better equipped school houses and more efficient teachers has 
been the slogan for several years. Four religious denominations with 
churches in every part of the county afford opportunity to all to attend 
divine worship. 

The roads are dirt — sand and clay — but large amounts are expended 
by the county each year in keeping them in good condition. Four railroads 
pass through the southern end of the "county, while the James river, with 
its many tributaries, furnish transportation to the lower or northern end. 

Isle of Wight, the county seat, is located near the center of the county, 
about eight miles from Windsor and seven from Smithfleld. Smithfleld, 
situated at the head of Pagan river with two boats daily to Newport News 
and Norfolk, is the largest town. Windsor, on the Norfolk and Western 
Railway, is the only other town of importance. Both towns are active, 
business centers, with prosperous, hospitable people. The county is served 
by four banks; two at Smithfleld, and one each at Windsor and Zuni. 

Recent reports from this county show marked improvement in agricul- 
ture. The use of improved, labor-saving implements is noted. Larger 
crops and greater proflts are the results. Financially and socially the 
farmer is advancing. The homeseeker and investor may well consider Isle 
of Wight. 



■''^^^^^ 



T^vT 




Hand Book of Virginia 151 

JA3JES CITY — One of the original counties into which Virginia was 
divided, James City was organized in 1634; and liere, at Jamestown, was tlie 
first settlement made by the English in this country, in 1607. The principal 
portion of the county lies along the north side of the James river, one portion 
extending across the peninsula to the York river on the northeast. It is 
distant from Richmond forty-five miles, and contains an area of 160 square 
miles. The population at present is about 4,324, representing an increase of 
20 per cent, over 1910 census. 

The surface is generally level, with comparatively a small per cent, in 
cultivation, fully seven-eighths of the county being covered with forest 
land. The soil is silicious, with a mixture of clay, and naturally very fertile. 
Considerable land has been cleared recently and the greater portion of idle 
land is now under cultivation. Farm products are wheat, corn, oats, peanuts 
and potatoes. Grass succeeds well, especially clover. All fruits common to 
this latitude are successfully grown. Potatoes are the chief money crop in 
the trucking section, which comprises a large part of the cultivated area. 
Melons and cabbage are also extensively grown. 

Dairying and hog raising are important industries, and the county 
operated successfully the only co-operative creamery in eastern Virginia 
for many years. This plant has now been converted into an up-to-date milk 
plant second to none in the State. Hog raising has increased at least 200 
per cent, and several carloads are sold on the Richmond market each year. 

The forest products are lumber, pulp wood and railroad ties. Marl of 
good quality is found in large quantity; also fine brick and other clays. 

Those of the rural population not engaged in the cultivation of the soil 
are employed in oystering and fishing, and these latter may be considered 
among the most profitable industries of the county. Fish of all the valuable 
species are very abundant in all the waters, and from York river oysters of 
fine size and quality are obtained. These industries give employment to a 
large number of men and afford desirable articles of food for the population. 

Transportation facilities by rail and water are excellent, the Chesapeake 
and Ohio traversing the county and the York and James rivers bounding 
both sides. The rural roads are improving. There are several miles of con- 
crete road, about sixty miles of State Aid road, and other roads have been 
widened and graded. 

The schools are among the best in the State. Every child has the privi- 
lege of attending a nine months' school term, with high school studies, cen- 
tralized schools having taken the place of the one-room school of the old 
regime. Churches of the leading denominations are conveniently located. 

Williamsburg, the county seat, is located on the Chesapeake and Ohio 
Railroad, in the southern portion of the county, and is the oldest incorporated 
town in the State, having been settled in 1632. In 1698 the seat of govern- 
ment was moved from Jamestown to Williamsburg, and it continued the 
capital until 1779, when Richmond was chosen the capital of the State. 

Williamsburg was once the center of the wealth, fashion and learning of 
the Old Dominion, the influence of which has left its impress not only upon 
the inhabitants of the city and surrounding county, but upon the State and 
country at large, in the men of State and National reputation that have gone 
out from its ancient seat of learning — William and Mary College. This is the 
oldest collegiate institute in the United States — with the exception of Har- 
vard College — founded in 1693, and dates from the time of England's sov- 
ereigns, William and Mary, who contributed to its endowment and in whose 
honor it was named. This institution has been three times destroyed by 
fire, the last time during the Civil War by Federal soldiers, but it was re- 
built by private subscription and continues to do a fine work. This town 
now has a population of 3,500 and enjoys many of the conveniences of a 
modern city. It is visited annually by a host of tourists interested in its 
historic landmarks, the most prominent among which are Bruton Parish 
Church (1632), which contains the font from which Pocahontas was bap- 
tized, the old Powder Horn (1714), the Eastern State Hospital for the In- 
sane (1773), the first institution of its kind in the United btates, the Debtors' 
Prison (1800), and other points of equal interest. 



152 Department of Agriculture 

In this county are many noted points and relics of antiquity. James- 
town Island (1607) on the James river, may be reached by automobile from 
Williamsburg, or from Norfolk by steamers of the Virginia Navigation Com- 
pany. Here Captain John Smith landed, May 13, 1607, and established the 
first permanent English settlement in America. Of this deeply interesting 
spot, little had remained but a churchyard and the ruins of the first church, 
built in 1610, but in preparation for the Jamestown Tercentenary (1907), a 
handsome new church and hotel were built. There may also be found here 
many relics of the first settlement, carefully conserved by the Society for 
the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities. Another curious relic of the past 
is the Old Stone House on Ware creek, a tributary of the York, which is 
supposed to have been built by Captain John Smith. This county was the 
scene of two battles fought during the Revolution, the first, June 25, 1781, at 
Spencer's Ordinary; the other near Green Spring, once the elegant home 
of Sir William Berkeley. It also felt the shock of the battle of Fort Ma- 
gruder during the Civil War, May 4 and 5, 1862. 

Toano is a thriving shipping station in the upper end of the county. 
From this point hundreds of carload of potatoes are shipped to northern 
and western markets. James City is the largest producer of Irish potatoes 
on the Virginia peninsula. 

Excellent transportation facilities, accessibility to large markets and 
wideawake farmers invite the homeseeker to this county. 

KING AND QUEEN — This county was formed from New Kent, 
during the reign of William and Mary in 1691, hence its name. This is an 
eastern county, thirty miles northeast from Richmond, lying between the 
Mattaponi and Piankatank rivers, and is about sixty miles long by ten miles 
wide, containing 336 square miles. Population, 1910, was 5,976. 

The surface along the rivers is level, the back country undulating and 
sometimes hilly. About thirty-five per cent, is in cultivation. The soil is a 
gray and chocolate loam, varying in quality and productiveness. The river 
lands, constituting a large part of the area, are very productive, and the 
extensive beds of marl found here furnish ready and permanent means of 
improvement. 

The leading farm products are corn, wheat, the grasses and trucks. The 
light lands produce profitable crops of legumes. Some tobacco is raised in 
the upper portion of the county. Good crops of clover, timothy and orchard 
grass are grown, making stock raising profitable. Sheep husbandry is espec- 
ially profitable. Fruits and vegetables are in great variety and abundance 
The adaptability of the soil and convenient water transportation have greatly 
developed fruit culture and trucks, especially potatoes, Irish and sweet, to 
which the soils are especially adapted. Trucks may be classed as the most 
profitable industry of the county. 

The forests abound with oak, pine, poplar, cypress and gum and the 
manufacture of timber is an important industry. Fish also, principally shad 
and herring, constitute a large item in the production and exports of the 
county, and in the lower parts of the county on York river, large quantities 
of the best oysters are caught, and the business is so profitable as often to 
engage the attention of the people of that section to the neglect of their 
agricultural interests. 

Transportation is furnished by the Baltimore steamer and railroad con- 
nection to Richmond at West Point, in an adjoining county. Rural roads 
with improvement are under construction. Educational and church advan- 
tages are good. Farmers' organizations are active. 

King and Queen, the county seat, is located in the southern part of the 
county, near the Mattaponi river. Its nearest market is Richmond, reached 
via West Point. 

There is much to recommend this county to the homeseeker. Society is 
good, the people are educated, refined and religious. There are few sec- 
tions in which the people live more easily and enjoy a higher standard of 



Hand Booh of Virginia 153 

comfort than here in the tidewater section of Virginia. The forests furnish 
game, the rivers the finest of fish, and the land nearly everything else 
necessary for comfortable subsistence. 

KING GEORGE — This county was formed in 172 from Richmond 
county. It lies in the northeastern portion of the State, forty-five miles from 
Richmond, forming part of the peninsula known as the Northern Neck. It is 
bordered on the north by the Potomac river, which separates it from the 
State of Maryland, and on the south by the Rappahannock river, which forms 
the boundary between it and Carolina and Essex, with Westmoreland and 
the Potomac on the east and Stafford on the west, and contains an area of 
1S3 square miles. Population, 1910 census, 6,378. 

The surface is rolling, lands generally good, especially on the rivers, and 
easily cultivated. The leading farm products are corn, alfalfa, wheat, rye, 
oats, and potatoes, of which considerable quantities are produced. Fruits of 
all kinds are raised and small fruits especially pay well in this section. The 
rich river lands are especially adapted to the cultivation of trucks and vege- 
tables, and this industry is a very important one. Stock succeeds finely, 
especially sheep, the climate being so mild very little provender is required 
for them. Poultry raising is also a profitable industry. 

Marl of various kinds is found in abundance and has been successfully 
used for many years in improvement of the soils. Sawmills in various dis- 
tricts are engaged in the manufacture of forest products to a considerable 
extent. 

The county has no railroads, but the deficiency is amply supplied by 
the splendid water transportation. With the Potomac on the northern border 
and the Rappahannock on its southern, it has a frontage of twenty miles 
on each river at convenient points upon which steamers and sail vessels 
touch for freight and passengers to and from Fredericksburg, Alexandria, 
Washington, Norfolk and Baltimore. Besides the valuable transportation 
afforded by these streams, they furnish large resources in fish, oysters and 
wild fowl, the first ranking as one of the most important industries of the 
county. 

King George, the county seat, is a small village, located in the central 
part of the county. 

Like other counties in the Northern Neck this is a fine farming sec- 
tion. The largest alfalfa farm in the East is in this county. The farmers 
are progressive, improved methods are practiced and interest is manifested 
in demonstrations. 

KING WiliLIAM — This county was formed in 17.01 from King and 
Queen. It is situated twenty miles northwest from Richmond on a narrow 
peninsula between the Mattaponi and Pamunkey rivers, uniting at West Point 
to form the York. It is thirty miles long, with an average width of about 
eight miles, and contains an area of 246 square miles. The population is 
about 9,500. Elevation, nine feet above sea level. 

On the rivers the surface is level; otherwise, rolling. The soil, general- 
ly, is a light chocolate, with clay subsoil, and is very productive, especially 
on the river lands. Farm products are corn, wheat, tobacco, oats, peanuts, 
peas, potatoes; wheat, corn and hay leading. Clover, timothy, millet, alfalfa 
and other hay crops do well. Trucking in the lower end of the county is very 
profitable, due to easy and quick transportation. Fruits, melons and vege- 
tables are grown in abundance. 

In the lower end of the county the fish and oyster industry is also im- 
portant. All choice varieties of fish, such as shad, herring, rock, trout, etc., 
are supplied by the Mattaponi and Pamunkey rivers, bounding two sides of 
the county. Water fowls are also abundant. The poultry industry is profit- 
able, especially for the early markets. The large farms are well adapted also 
to stock raising which is successfully practiced. 

Pulp wood, fire wood and the usual varieties of lumber are products of 
the forest, the manufacture of which is an important industry in the county. 



154 



Department of Agriculture 



This county has good shipping facilities and market advantages, by 
rail or water, with the York River Branch of the Southern Railway, steamers 
and vessels traversing both rivers, and regular lines plying between West 
Point, Baltimore and Norfolk, by way of York river. There is considerable 
mileage of improved roads, and construction and maintenance are receiving 
attention. 

King William, the county seat, is twenty-seven miles northeast from 
Richmond, and two miles from the Mattaponi river. West Point is an enter- 
prising town of 3,000 people. A pulp mill, flour mill, furniture factory, lime- 
grinding plant (oyster shells), and the fish and oyster business represent 
the active industries of this town. A ship yard, near West Point, is a recent 
development. The county is served by two banks. 

A good soil, exceptional market advantages, the general condition of 
farms, rural life with adequate schools and churches, and industrial activity 
are prominent factors of interest in this county. 




A catch of fish 



LANOASTEK — Located in the northeastern part of the State, Lan- 
caster was formed in 1651 from Northumberland. It lies on the banks of the 
Rappahannock and Chesapeake Bay, fifty miles from Norfolk and sixty miles, 
air line, from Richmond. The area is 137 square miles — 80,486 acres. There 
are 950 farms, the average size being sixty acres. The population at present 
is estimated to be 10,500. 



Hand Book of Virginia 155 

The surface is mostly level; in some parts rolling. The soil is sandy 
loam with clay subsoil, and is easily improved with nitrogen-gathering crops 
and the judicious use of commercial fertilizer. The leading farm crops are 
tomatoes, potatoes, corn, peas, asparagus, and other truck crops. Trucking is 
the most important agricultural industry, fostered by cheap transportation 
rates to excellent markets. Some of the soils produce fine crops of corn, 
wheat, oats and grasses. For many years this county has had the distinction 
of shipping the first early wheat from Virginia into Baltimore market. 
Early fruits and berries are especially profitable. 

■ The most important sources of profit and support to the people are the 
fish, crab and oyster industries, the county being in the center of the great 
Chesapeake Bay oyster beds. 

The live stock of the county consist of horses, cattle, sheep and hogs, all 
of which are raised to some extent; but poultry raising attracts more atten- 
tion on account of easy access to market and the great demand for eggs. 

Ties and excelsior are products of the forests manufactured in consider- 
able quantity. Other industries are canning factories, the menhaden fish 
fertilizer business (four factories in number), and the State Lime-Grinding 
plant, consuming many thousand bushels of oyster shells annually. The can- 
ning of tomatoes, fish and roe is attracting to the county capital and new 
settlers. 

As one of the counties of the Northern Neck of Virginia, there are no 
railroads, but water transportation facilities are excellent, with steamers ply- 
ing daily between Baltimore, Norfolk and Fredericksburg touching at va- 
rious landings in the county. The rural roads are in fair condition, con- 
struction and maintenance work receiving attention. Schools and churches 
are adequate. There are five high schools and many other primary and 
grammar schools. There are churches of all denominations, the Methodist 
and Baptist predominating. 

Lancaster, the county seat, with 150 people, is located in the northern 
part of the county. Irvington, the largest town, has a population of 1,200, 
with a number of stores, a strong bank, newspaper plant, and is the center 
of the oyster and fish industry, being an important shipping and receiving 
point. Kilmarnock is an important town of 800 people, twenty stores, a news- 
paper plant, bank, etc. Whitestone and Morattico are other towns of interest. 

Splendidly located for easy transportation and accessible markets, the 
fine fish and trucking industry of this county offer an inviting field for 
operation. 

-LEE — Named in honor of Henry Lee, then Governor of Virginia, 
Lee county was formed from Russell in 1792. It lies on the southeastern 
slope of the Cumberland mountains, in the extreme southwest corner of the 
State, 450 miles from Richmond, having Kentucky on the north and west, 
Tennessee on the south, and Scott and Wise counties on the east. At its ex- 
treme western limit it is marked by the widely known Cumberland Gap. 
The county is sixty miles in length by seventeen in breadth, and contains an 
area of 433 square miles. The population is about 24,500. 

The surface is hilly and some parts mountainous, especially the western 
part, but the mountains are generally fertile to the top. The soil is lime- 
stone and sandstone, and, while a large portion of the county is very fertile 
and productive, the two principal valleys in the eastern part are especially 
noted in this respect. One-half of the area of the county is in cultivation, 
producing abundant crops of corn, wheat, oats, rye, potatoes, hay, etc. To- 
bacco of fine grades is also cultivated. The average yield of corn is twenty- 
five bushels per acre, the best lands yielding from fifty to seventy-five bushels 
per acre. Wheat yields are from fifteen to thirty bushels per acre. 

This is an excellent grass country for both the cultivated and the in- 
digenous bluegrass, especially in the eastern portion. The broad and beauti- 
ful valleys in this section having been converted into grazing lands, the 
county is at the front in production of horses, sheep and cattle, having an 
annual surplus of 6,000 sheep and many thousand cattle, the great proportion 



Hand Book of Virgiiiia 157 

ibeing stock cattle. This county has also ranked among the first In the State 
in hog production. Considerable attention is paid to the cultivation of 
fruit, many hundred acres being in orchards of the various varieties. Fruit 
growing and stock raising rank as the most important industries of the 
county. 

The county is rich in minerals, such as iron, coal, lead, zinc, limestone, 
barytes and kaolin, but the most important are iron and coal, which properly 
developed will be a source of vast wealth to the county. To an almost un- 
limited extent of fossil red iron ores are added extensive deposits of brown 
ores and of coals. The county contains some of the finest veins known of 
bituminous, splint and cannel coal. There are also mineral waters — chaly- 
iDeate, white, red and black sulphur — but not important to any great extent. 

Transportation is furnished by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, 
extending through the entire length of the county, and the Virginian and 
Southwestern extending through a small portion of the county. The rural 
roads are kept in good condition. The main road through the county is a 
part of the Bristol-Lexington highway. 

The county is well watered by Powell's river and its tributaries. In the 
southeastern and eastern corners. Black Water and Wild Cat creeks flow 
through small sections of the county. These streams afford fine water 
powers, from sixty to 250 feet of water power per second. Powell's river, 
towards its lower end in the county, is navigable through the winter months 
by bateau, and furnishes transportation for large quantities of grain and 
forest products, 50,000 bushels of wheat being shipped by this means during 
the winter season. However, this method of transportation has been largely 
superseded by railroads. 

Jonesville, the county seat, is a thriving town of 1,000 inhabitants, sit- 
uated about the center of the county. Other towns of importance and thrift 
are Pennington Gap, Dryden and Boone's Path, all with strong State banks 
to meet the increasing business interests of this section. 

The vast agricultural and mineral wealth of this prosperous county 
cannot fail to attract increasing interest. 

IiOUDOUN — Formed in 1757 from Fairfax, Loudoun is the northern- 
most of the Piedmont counties, 100 miles north of Richmond, lying on the 
eastern slope of the Blue Ridge mountains. It contains an area of 519 square 
miles, with a population, 1910 census, of 21,167. 

The surface is varied, with mountains, gently sloping hills and broad 
valleys. A large per cent, of the land is under cultivation, of which the 
greater part is very fertile. The soil is clay and loam, with some sand. The 
farm products are wheat, corn, rye, oats and hay; wheat and corn leading 
with an average production of thirty-five bushels of corn per acre and eighteen 
bushels of wheat. Cattle, horses, hogs, dairy products and orcharding are 
other industries of vast importance. The county takes first rank in the pro- 
duction of corn and third in amount of wheat and grass. Bluegrass is in- 
digenous here, rivaling the best bluegrass sods of Kentucky. 

Much attention is paid to improved breeds of horses, cattle, sheep and 
hogs. There are community breeds of Percherons, Guernseys, Berkshires, 
Durocs, and standard poultry is generally adopted. Loudoun ranks high 
in the number of her milch cows and much improvement is noted in dairy 
stock. Large quantities of butter, milk and cream are shipped daily to 
Washington. Peach growing with apple production is becoming an increas- 
ing and valuable addition to orchard practices. 

Hardwood timber is available for general needs. Pulp wood is important 
in the eastern section of the county. 

Transportation facilities are excellent. The Washington and Old Do- 
minion Railroad runs through the heart of the county, the Potomac with 
Chesapeake and Ohio canal on the north boundary, and regular rural motor 
express service over all roads. There are fifty miles of improved roads and 
many routes under improved construction. 



158 Department of Agriculture 

Leesburg, the county seat, is a thriving town of 2,500. Industries in 
operation are a woodworking plant, supply houses for farm machinery, etc., 
lime kilns and quarry. The town and community is served by a strong bank. 

Purcellville, with population of 1,500, has a creamery, woodworking 
plants, powerhouse, ice plant, a laundry and a bank. Hamilton, Bluemont, 
Round Hill and Ashburn are other important towns with roller mills, saw 
mills and other industries. 

The farmers in this county are well organized. The farms are very 
up-to-date, operated with the most improved machinery and equipment for 
saving labor, milking machines, farm tractors, etc. Lime has been generally 
used and a systematic and fixed rotation of crops practiced for many years. 
There are ten high schools in the county, one agricultural high school, and 
three or more high schools with special teachers in agriculture and domestic 
subjects. All leading denominations are represented in the churches of the 
county. 

LOUISA — Situated in the central part of the State, in what is known 
as Piedmont Virginia, forty-five miles northwest from Richmond, this county 
was formed in 1792 from Hanover. It is thirty miles long and about eigh- 
teen miles wide, containing an area o%, 529 square miles. The population, 
according to 1910 census, was 16,578, a normal increase being reported since. 
The altitude is 453 feet. 

The surface of the county is gently undulating. The soil is generally 
a granite or gray soil, with clay subsoil, and of good quality. In the west- 
ern part of the county the lands are very fertile, embracing the noted Green. 
Spring district, supposed to be the bed of an ancient lake. Along the bor- 
ders of the streams are many wide and fertile flats, while on the uplands 
may be found every variety and quality of soil. 

Farm products are tobacco, wheat, corn, hay, oats, potatoes, etc., to- 
bacco, wheat, corn and hay leading. Fruits of every variety are successfully 
grown, especially small fruits, grapes, berries and melons. Excellent fields 
of alfalfa are being grown. Stock raising and grazing are specialties with 
some farmers. Hog raising is a profitable industry, also dairying and poul- 
try, the western, or Green Spring section, being especially adapted to stock. 
The convenience of the Richmond market renders dairying and poultry espe- 
cially profitable. 

The manufacture of timber is an important industry — ties, poles, and 
a great deal of pine and oak lumber. The mineral interest in this county 
is great. The county is rich in gold, copper, iron, mica, soapstone, ochre 
and pyrites. The pyrite mines, located near Mineral, are the largest in the 
United States. Gold has been mined in this county with varying success, 
and often profitable. A mica vein as also been worked, and extensive beds 
of iron ore lie contiguous to the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. 

The county is well watered by the North and South Anna rivers and 
their tributaries, which also furnish abundant water power. Good flour 
and corn mills are located in every neighborhood. There are splendid iron 
bridges over these rivers, bespeaking the enterprise and public spirit of the 
people. 

Railroad facilities are ample, and are furnished by the Chesapeake and 
Ohio, extending almost through the entire length of the county, and the 
Southern Railway, skirting the western end. These bring the county into 
convenient communication with Richmond city, its principal market, and 
with the country north and west. There are about thirty-five miles of im- 
proved road with good work under construction. A county Good Roads 
Association is doing some work in co-operation with the State Highway 
Department. 

The county is served by five banks; two at Louisa, the county seat; 
two at Mineral, a town of 300 people; and one at Sulphur Mines. Farmers 
are well organized in this county. There are cattle breeders' associations, 
one community fair, and a county fair association. A recent industrial 



Hand Book of Virginia 159 



development is the establishment of a cheese factory at Apple Grove. Schools 
are progressive and churches are numerous. 

Although, from this brief review, it is evident that the county's interests 
are varied, the agricultural interest is foremost. The general condition of 
farms indicate progress and improvement in farm practices. Homeseekers 
find here a genial clime, a good soil, an accessible location, and a friendly 
people. 

LUNENBURG — This county was formed in 1746 from Brunswick. It 
lies near the North Carolina border, fifty-one miles southwest of Richmond 
and 125 miles west of Norfolk. The county is thirty miles long, with an 
average width of fifteen miles, and contains an area of 471 square miles. 
The estimated population at present is 15,780. 

Lunenburg, one of the richest and most fertile counties of the State, 
was probably the least known until recent railroad developments. Its rich 
and virgin soil, its vast forests of timber long lay dormant, awaiting the 
shrill whistle of the locomotive and the quickening touch of progress to 
awaken them to life and to bring wealth to the capitalist, the investor and 
the farmer. This long-felt want was supplied and the development is un- 
paralleled. 

The surface of the county is rolling, with a mean elevation of from 50 
to 150 feet above sea level, rising at points to 580 feet. The soil is a grayish 
slate, with a firm red subsoil, being comparatively level and easily tilled. 
Agricultural machinery of all kinds can be used to great advantage. 
Farm products are wheat, corn, oats, the grasses, clovers, cotton and tobacco, 
tobacco and corn being the leading crops. Here are found some of the best 
and most varied tobacco lands in the State, producing in abundance the heavy 
shipping and light leaf tobacco. The bottoms on the Meherrin and Notto- 
way rivers and the bottom lands on the many creeks are regarded as among 
the best corn producing lands in Virginia. The lands are especially adapted 
to the grasses. The growing of more grass and alfalfa, and consequent in- 
crease in stock raising, is an agricultural development of great promise and 
profit to the farmers of Lunenburg. Conditions are excellent for cattle 
raising, sheep, hogs and dairying. 

Pine, oak, hickory, cedar, birch, sycamore, gum, maple, and other trees 
abound in profusion. The manufacture of oak and pine timber is an in- 
dustry of vast importance. AU over the county of Lunenburg there are 
outcroppings of superior granite, which is susceptible of a high state of 
polish. 

The Virginian Railway furnishes excellent transportation facilities 
through the county, making connection with North and South trunk lines 
at points adjacent. There are 175 miles of improved roads and much in- 
terest is manifested in construction and maintenance. 

The farmers are well organized. Educational advantages are good; the 
schools are largely attended and higher schools and colleges are within 
easy reach. 

The principal towns are Victoria, Kenbridge and Dundas. Lunenburg 
Courthouse is the county seat. Victoria, the largest town, has a population 
of 3,000. It is a railroad division point, with two banks and large lumber 
industries. Kenbridge, with 1,000 population, is a thriving town, with two 
banks, a live tobacco market and extensive lumber industries. Dundas, 
with 300 people, is the center of lumber and farming industries. 

Any one desiring a location in a healthy, prosperous section should not 
overlook Lunenburg. 

MADTSON — This county lies on the east side of the Blue Ridge moun- 
tains, in the northern part of the State, sixtv-five miles northwest of Rich- 
mond, and was formed from Culpeper in 1792. Cn the northwest is Page, 
from which it is separated by the Blue Ridge mountains; on the north. 
Rappahannock; Culpeper on the east; with Orange on the southeast and 



160 



Department of Agriculture 



Greene on the southwest, the Rapidan river forming the dividing line. It 
contains an area of 336 square miles, with a population of 10,500. 

The surface is rolling, the soil varying from loam, sand and slate to 
red clay, and is very productive, especially on the rivers, which embrace 
extensive and fertile bottoms. This is an excellent grass and grain pro- 
ducing county; the slopes of the mountains are especially adapted to tobacco 
and potatoes. Corn, fruit and cattle are the leading farm products. 

Owing to exemption from late frosts, this county is especially adapted 
to fruit culture; the Pippin and other valuable apples grow well. Grape 
culture is also a profitable industry. Vegetables do well, and there has been 
considerable increase in the dairy products of the county. The Blue Ridge 
mountains extending along the entire northwest border are 3,860 feet above 




Sheep raising in Tidewater Virginia 

sea level at the highest point. The top and slopes furnish excellent gra/i'-' 
when cleared, and cattle there thrive well, owing to lower temperature a. i 
freedom from insect annoyance. 

The forests abound in a considerable amount of hardwood. There is no 
manufacturing of timber as yet. Motor trucks and wagons furnish trans- 
portation facilities over roads that are being improved, with some mileage 
macadamized. 

The county is well supplied with churches and educational advantages 
are fair. Madison, the county seat, is a banking town, with a population 
of 300, a splendid high school, numerous stores, etc. 

The development of the resources of Madison county has been handi- 
capped by lack of railroad transportation. However, a new railroad from 
Orange to Graves Mill in this county is now in process of construction — the 
Rapidan Railway — which when completed will develop the fine timber lands 
of Madison and Greene and bring this magnificent farming, fruit-growing 
and stock raising section into closer touch with the outside world. 



Hand Booh of Virginia 161 

MATHEWS — Mathews county is located on the western shore of the 
Chesapeake Bay, 120 miles south of Washington, about ninety miles east 
of Richmond and twenty-six miles north of Old Point Comfort, Hampton 
and Newport News. It was formed from Gloucester in 1790, and is one of 
the extreme eastern counties of the State, forming a peninsula, united to 
the main land by a very narrow neck of country. It is twenty miles long 
and nine miles across at the widest point, containing an area of ninety-two 
square miles. The population is 9,500. 

The county is nearly surrounded by the salt water of the Chesapeake 
and Mobjack Bays; and owing to the many inlets it has a water frontage 
of over 150 miles. The surface is level; the soil is a medium loam, with just 
enough of sand to make it easy to till and early. Farm products are corn, 
wheat, rye and oats. Alfalfa and other legumes yield well, and also other 
hay crops. Fruits do well. The county is particularly adapted to the raising 
of trucks and vegetables. The growing period lasts from February until 
December. Large yields of onions and potatoes are reported. Conditions 
are well adapted to poultry raising, which is a considerable industry. 

Shell marl is found in 'many localities, and utilized to some extent; 
also a species of peat, well adapted to composting, is found in the ravines. 
The principal forest products are pine and oak. 

Mathews ranks among the first counties in this section in the yield of 
its fisheries, and is also renowned for their superior excellence. Fish, 
oysters, clams, crabs and wild fowl can be taken at little cost from the water. 

The nearest railway station is West Point, in King William county, 
distant about thirty miles, but this deficiency is amply supplied by daily 
steamers from Norfolk and other seaboard cities. The Old Dominion 
steamers call at thirteen different wharves in the county, the produce of 
this county thus reaching nearby and distant markets in less than twenty- 
four hours. Rural roads are in fair condition. Like other Tidewater coun- 
ties, Mathews is lacking in suitable material for road building, but suitable 
material can be shipped in at moderate cost, and road construction and 
maintenance is not neglected. 

The leading Protestant denominations are represented in this county. 
Educational advantages are good, four fine high schools in operation. The 
county is thickly settled, many of the people being descendants of original 
settlers noted for their liberal hospitality. 

In addition to the surrounding waters mentioned, the East river, ex- 
tending through the central part of the county, divides it into two nearly 
equal parts, called East and West Mathews. 

Mathews, in the center of the county, is the county seat. This is an 
attractive country village, with a good high school, and is the site of the 
Bank of Mathews. 

In location, climate, soil and all conditions — social, agricultural and 
educational — this county offers exceptional opportunities. 

MECKLENBURG — Formed in 1764 from Lunenburg, Mecklenburg: 
county is situated on the southern border of the State, ninety miles south- 
west from Richmond. The county has an average length of thirty-six miles 
and a width of twenty miles, containing an area of 640 square miles and a 
population of 29,256. 

The surface is generally undulating, the average elevation above the sea 
level being about 500 feet. The soils are variable— light sandy to stiff clay — - 
easily cultivated and responding readily to good treatment. Along the val- 
leys of the streams it is alluvial and exceedingly fertile. The leading farm 
products are tobacco, cotton and corn, with Avheat and hay acreage increas- 
ing. This is one of the large tobacco-producing counties in the State of 
very fine grades. The various grasses grow luxuriantly on good soils — 
clover, alfalfa, orchard grass, timothy, etc. Fruits of all varieties are pro- 
duced in abundance, and all garden vegetables can be abundantly grown. 

Notwithstanding tobacco is the leading crop of the county and farmers 
have been absorbed in its culture, diversification is claiming the attention 



162 Department of Agriculture 

of many leading farmers now. Stock raising and dairying are assuming 
an important place in agricultural activity, and on account of the mild 
climate and consequent small cost of raising stock, these industries are des- 
tined to assume large and increasing proportions. A live stock association 
has been organized. The number of pure-bred dairy cattle has increased 
in the last twelve months. There are ten registered Guernsey bulls. There 
has been an increase in silos from one in 1914 to twenty-five in 1918, and an 
increase in registered hogs from ten to 150 in twelve months. 

Forest products are pine, oak and hickory. There are a large number 
of saw mills finding a ready market in two wagon factories, three box fac- 
tories and a furniture factory. 

In some portions of the county gold, copper, granite, soapstone and 
kaolin exist, but these deposits are undeveloped. Mineral waters are abun- 
dant and noted, especially the celebrated Buffalo Lithia Springs, on the 
southern border of the county, whose waters are famous the world over 
for their potential health-producing and medicinal properties. At Chase 
City, Clarksville and Jeffress, near South Hill, there are also mineral waters 
noted for their medicinal ingredients and adaption to a wide range of 
diseases. 

Educational advantages are exceptional. There is one Smith-Lever High 
School, located at Chase City, and eight other high schools conveniently 
distributed over the county. Churches of the leading denominations are 
well distributed throughout the county also. A progressive and co-operative 
spirit among farmers is reflected in a Farmers' Union of twenty locals 
and a County Union. 

The road system compares favorably with other counties. There are 
improved roads in all eight districts of the county. A large mileage of soil 
roads has been constructed in this county, which have, as a whole, proven 
satisfactory. Transportation is furnished by the Seaboard Air Line in 
the western part of the county, the Atlantic and Danville Division of the 
Southern from east to west and the Keysville and Durham Division from 
north to south. 

The principal towns are Chase City, Clarksville, South Hill, Boydton, 
La Crosse, Baskerville and Union Level. Boydton is the county seat. Three 
large tobacco- markets are active in Chase City, South Hill and Clarksville. 
The county is served by ten banks. 

The general condition of the farms throughout this county exhibits 
progress and improvement. Soil improvement practices of liming and 
growing legume crops — the clovers and alfalfa — are prevailing. Increase 
in interest in better agriculture is further evinced by the fact that there 
is a Demonstration Agent in Agriculture and a Home Demonstration Agent. 

Mecklenburg won the first Prize County Exhibit at the Virginia State 
Fair in 1917, Single Farm Exhibit Bale Alfalfa, and other prizes in oats, 
cowpeas, soy beans, sweet corn. There are seven banks supporting Club 
work in Corn, Calves and Pigs. Fine opportunities for the homeseeker will 
be readily noted. 

MIDDLESEX — This county was formed from Lancaster in 1675. It is 
situated in the eastern half of the State, forty miles east of Richmond, and 
lies between the Rappahannock and Piankitank rivers, with Chesapeake Bay 
on the east. Population, 1910 census, was 8,852. 

It is thirty miles long with an average width of six miles, and con- 
tains an area of 156 square miles. The surface is generally level, with an 
elevation above tidewater of ten to thirty feet on the river, and a hundred 
feet or more further back. The soil is light and dark loam, with clay sub- 
soil, easily cultivated and readily improved. 

Farm products are corn, wheat, oats, hay, etc., and the lands are espe- 
cially adapted in some parts to the growth of legumes, clovers, etc. Peaches, 
pears, apples, plums, apricots, and the smaller fruits do well; also vegeta- 
bles of the various kinds, finding a ready market in vegetable and fruit 



Hand Booh of Virginia 163 

canneries. Being convenient to market, the county is most favorably lo- 
cated for trucking, to which the soil in the lower part of the county is espe- 
cially adapted. 

Stock raising is an important industry to some extent, the most pro- 
fitable branch being spring lambs. Poultry is a profitable and increasing 
industry, with large poultry establishments in the county. The most ex- 
tensive and profitable industry, however, is in fish and oysters, for which 
this county is scarcely second in the State. It has fish and oyster canneries 
and fish fertilizer factories. 

Large deposits of marl abound, and this has been extensively used with 
great benefit to the soil in connection with clover and cowpeas in proper 
rotation of crops. Forest products are oak, pine, chestnut, ash and cypress 
of good quality and quantity. 

The county is well watered by surrounding water courses and their 
tributary streams, which also afford water power for numerous grist mills. 
There are also many steam mills in operation. 

Water communication and transportation is direct by daily steamers 
to Baltimore, Fredericksburg and Norfolk. A large mileage of sand-clay 
roads has been constructed and is proving very satisfactory. Schools and 
churches are ample and well located. 

Saluda, the county seat, located near the center of the county, is an 
attractive village in a prosperous, intelligent community. 

Urbanna is an important shipping point on the Rappahannock river and 
is the seat of the Bank of Middlesex. 

MONTGOMERY — This county was formed in 1776 from a portion of 
the territory then known as the Fincastle district. The balance of the 
district was merged into Washington and Kentucky counties, the latter com- 
prising the present State of Kentucky. Montgomery has since been shorn 
of much of its original territory by the formation of several new counties 
on every side. It is 175 miles southwest from Richmond, about midway 
between the capital city and the extreme southwest, and is about twenty- 
two miles on each of its irregular sides, containing an area of 394 square 
miles. The population is 18,768. Altitude, 2,200 feet at Christiansbuig. 

The surface of this county is rolling and mountainous generally. The 
soil varies according to the geological structure, being principally clay and 
limestone, and some portions slate and freestone; the latter a lighter soil, 
and generally thin and sterile on the hills. The greater portion of the 
county is very rich and productive, yielding fine crops of corn, wheat, oats, 
rye, apples, hay, and grasses. The cultivation of tomatoes is becoming a 
considerable industry also. 

The county is especially adapted to the grasses, both the cultivated 
and the natural blue grass, so that the production of hay, grazing and 
stock raising — sheep, hogs, cattle — are extensively carried on and are very 
profitable sources of revenue. Some of the finest herds of Shorthorn cattle 
in this State are found in Montgomery, and it is also especially adapted to 
the raising of sheep. Fruits of all kinds are readily and abundantly grown, 
and the vegetable and dairy products are also items of considerable revenue 
to the farmer, the dairy industry increasing in some sections. 

Hard and softwood timbers are found, and the manufacture of timber 
is an important industry; one large furniture factory is located at Cambria. 

Transportation is supplied by the Norfolk and Western and Virginian 
Railways. Road improvement and construction is receiving considerable 
attention. Limestone is found in practically all sections of the county, ex- 
cept on high elevations, where the formations are shale and sandstone. 
A part of the drainage of the county goes into the Roanoke and a part into 
New river, Montgomery lying at the watershed between the Atlantic and the 
Oulf of Mexico. 

Farmers' organizations in this county are active; educational advan- 
tages are good and improving and many churches are well distributed. 

Christiansburg, the county seat, is situated near the center of the 







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Hand Booh of Virginia 165 

county, one mile south of Christiansburg station, on tlie Norfolk and Western 
Railroad, and on the summit of the Alleghany mountains, 2,200 feet above 
tidewater. It is a beautiful and growing town, with a population of 1,800, 
surrounded by a fertile and picturesque country. Redford, a city of 5,000, 
situated at the intersection of three branches of the Norfolk and Western 
Railroad, is ideally located for the assembling of the rich resources of that 
district. Cambria is an enterprising town of 800 population, with manufac- 
turing interests and a strong bank. 

Blacksburg, with a population of 1,000, is especially noted as the seat 
of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and Agricultural College. This is a 
military institution doing excellent work in educating the young men of 
the State in agriculture, mechanical arts and engineering. Short winter 
courses in agriculture are offered the progressive farmer also. The plant 
is well equipped — buildings large and commodious, and the grounds exten- 
sive and very attractive. The college farm, consisting of 338 acres of ex- 
cellent land in fine state of cultivation, is devoted to experimental purposes. 
The shops are well equipped with valuable machinery for iron and wood 
work, also with foundry and forge. The income consists of an annuity from 
the Federal government and liberal appropriations by the State. It is one 
of the largest and most progressive schools in the State, being taxed to its 
full capacity in the number of students. The military feature is especially 
attractive and useful. 

Montgomery county during the past five years has made remarkable 
progress in improvement of farms, increasing the production in well-bred 
live stock and grain, and, in fact, in all farm products, as well as increased 
output from its anthracite coal mines. All agricultural and industrial de- 
velopment receives an impetus from the great advantage in proximity to 
the State Agricultural and Mechanical College in its midst. Land is advanc- 
ing in prices as development merits. 

NANSBMOND — Located in the southeastern part of the State, sixty-five 
miles from Richmond, this county was formed in 1639 from Isle of Wight. 
It is thirty-five miles long and nineteen miles wide, extending from Hamp- 
ton Roads on the north to North Carolina on the south, and contains an 
area of 393 square miles. The population, exclusive of the town of Suffolk, 
is about 30,000, showing a material increase over 1910 census. 

The soil is a sandy loam (the "Norfolk" loam), with clay subsoil. The 
lands on the river are of very fine quality. Peanuts and cotton are the farm 
products in which this county leads. Corn, oats, wheat, forage crops, alfalfa 
and other legumes are standard crops also. In 1912 Nansemond county led 
the United States in the production of seed cotton to the acre. The county 
is divided somewhat sharply into two farming sections; the trucking section 
in the eastern part of the county, and the general farming section in the 
western part. The trucking section raises the usual truck crops, potatoes, 
spinach, cabbage, kale, melons, garden peas, etc. The soil is well adapted 
to the growing of all crops known as general truck. The upper portion or 
western portion devotes itself to general farming. There is hardly a crop 
grown in Virginia that cannot be found somewhere in Nansemond. In addi- 
tion to the standard crops mentioned, good crops of tobacco, hay of different 
sorts, peaches and apples will be found scattered throughout the county. 
The production of grapes is a very important industry. There is hardly a 
home in Nansemond without its scuppernong grape arbor, and they always 
bear good crops. 

A great variety of legume crops is grown, as soiling, pasture and hay 
crops. This means that the land is kept in a good state of cultivation and 
fertilizer bills are saved. There is a record of over seven tons of alfalfa 
to the acre for one grower, and a wheat record of 39 1/^ bushels to the acre. 
Soja beans have been long grown in this county, but in recent years they 
have come into greater popularity as a forage crop for hogs. Nansemond 
is third in the State in the number of hogs raised, and there is hardly a 
farm without some soja beans to help produce the Smithfield ham. The 
dairy interest is as yet undeveloped, but market facilities and general con- 



166 Department of Agriculture 

ditions suggest it as a successful industry for the future. Good pasture is 
assured the effort in making and any number of crops can be grown for 
silage and for concentrates. 

The forests contain pine, cypress and juniper, and the manufacture of 
this timber is an important industry. Nansemond has a valuable asset in 
its extreme southeastern corner in the Dismal Swamp. This swamp fur- 
nishes valuable timber to the large mills situated in Suffolk and through- 
out the county, cypress, juniper, pine and gum leading. The higher sandy 
ridges of the county grow the best kind of long leaf pine. 

A great abundance of marl of superior quality is found and much used 
on the lands. In climate, health and water this county compares favorably 
with other portions of this section of the State. One of the oldest farmers' 
organizations in the State is in Nansemond county, formed primarily for 
the purchase of fertilizer. There are several hundred farmers members of 
organizations manifesting an interest in progress and co-operation and other 
agencies, all working in closest harmony for the betterment of rural con- 
ditions. 

Educational advantages are excellent. There are three accredited high 
schools and six other schools doing high school work. In all there are 
seventy-six school rooms opened in this county for the whites and forty-two 
for the colored. A county so well favored with schools must be well sup- 
plied with churches. There are a number of well furnished churches all 
over the county. 

Although the roads are not of the highest improved type, much progress 
has been made in road improvement. All the main thoroughfares are im- 
proved and permit the use of automobiles and heavy trucks. Six railroads 
converge in Suffolk, connecting this point with the large cities of the 
country. Nansemond river is a big waterway from Hampton Roads to Suf- 
folk and navigable by steamers of large size. Fish and oysters are abundant; 
also water fowl, such as duck, geese and swan. 

Suffolk, the county seat, is an important city of 13,000 people. It is 
the largest peanut market in the world and is a manufacturing center for 
forest products. It is also a banking center of note. Cotton goods, peanuts, 
timber, and candy are all manufactured here, while merchandising of all 
kinds make it an ideal city for a farming community. There are six trunk 
line railroads, running south, west and north, and twenty miles east of 
Suffolk her rail connections end in deep water terminals on the great harbor 
of Hampton Roads, furnishing an outlet for her products by foreign and 
coastwise vessels to every part of the world. 

Other towns are Whaleyville, a mill town of several hundred inhabi- 
tants supported by a large lumber manufacturing plant; Holland, a trading 
center and cotton market for the western part of the county, with a thriv- 
ing business and a splendid back country; and Driver, located in the truck- 
ing section, and of interest also because of its splendid Agricultural High 
School. 

Agriculturally and industrially this county is in a good condition. The 
area under cultivation has increased considerably in the past decade. The 
general aspect of the farms is one of progress and improvement; more 
labor-saving machinery is being used; rural homes are attractive; barns are 
well kept — all but an earnest of what a county so splendidly endowed may 
hope to accomplish in future. 

NELSON — This county was formed in 1797 from Amherst, and lies on 
the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge, seventy-five miles west of Richmond. 
It is separated from Augusta on the northwest by the Blue Ridge mountains 
and from Buckingham on the northeast by the James river, and contains 
an area of 472 square miles. The population is 17,800. 

The surface is rolling, the soil generally red clay, except on the rivers, 
which is a dark alluvial soil, very productive. Farm products are corn, 
wheat, oats, rye, tobacco, buckwheat, and the grasses, especially timothy 
and clover. The mountain lands furnish fine pasturage. Horses, cattle and 
sheep, especially, are raised in large numbers for the northern markets. 



Band Booh of Virginia 167 

Poultry is extensively raised also. Of the various products of the county, 
however, tobacco is the chief money crop. 

The county is especially adapted to fruits and vegetables of all kinds; 
indeed, it may be considered one of the best sections of the State for fruit. 
The Albemarle Pippin and the Pilot, another famous apple, and a native 
of Nelson, flourish here. Grapes also grow to perfection and are receiving 
increased attention. There are several large vineyards in the county. 

Minerals are iron ore, both hematite and magnetic, copper, manganese, 
lead, asbestos, kaolin and soapstone; of which iron, copper and manganese 
have been worked to considerable extent. The manufacture of soapstone 
into washtubs is a large industry. Chalybeate and sulphur waters are found 
in various sections of the county. 

Transportation is furnished by the Southern Railway traversing the 
county. The county is alive to the building of good rural roads and is 
making every effort to secure Federal aid for building a road through the 
county, north and south. Stone for road building is found in varied quality. 

Lovingston, the county seat, is located in the central part of the county. 
The Bank of Nelson is located here. Another bank is located at Massies 
Mill. 

Nelson stands in the front rank of Piedmont counties as a fine fruit and 
live stock section, with soil and other conditions well adapted to general 
farming. 

XEW KENT — Formed from York in 1654, this county lies nine miles 
east of Richmond, between the Pamunkey and Chickahominy rivers. It is 
twenty-six miles long and from seven to nine miles wide, containing an area 
of 233 square miles. The present population is 5,150. 

The surface is generally level, but undulating in parts. The soil in the 
interior is light and sandy; on the river bottom a stiff clay loam. Farm 
products are corn, wheat, oats, early vegetables, sweet and Irish potatoes, 
for the last of which the soil is especially adapted. Legume crops — vetch, 
alfalfa, clover — as well as rape and other valuable grasses, grow here to 
perfection. 

Poultry and trucking are important products, all the more so, owing to 
proximity to market. Horses, cattle, hogs and sheep do well in this county, 
especially sheep. These can get green food the year round, except a few 
days when there is snow, which is soon gone. 

Marl is abundant and of excellent quality. The timber consists of ash, 
oak, hickory, pine, cypress, gum, etc. Much cord wood and lumber is an- 
nually shipped from the county. 

Railroad transportation is furnished by the Chesapeake and Ohio and 
the West Point Division of the Southern Railway. The rural roads are of 
sand-clay construction and are in fair condition. There is a growing in- 
terest in their improvement. 

New Kent Courthouse, the county seat, is situated in the center of the 
county. This county bears the distinction of having been the marriage 
place of George Washington. 

Progress and improvement are reflected on many fine farms of this his- 
toric county. The homeseeker will flnd here conditions well suited to modern 
developments in farming. 

NORFOLK — This county from its earliest days has figured conspicu- 
ously in history, and it is one of the richest in agricultural production 
and in general and varied resources. Its area is 425 square miles. It is 
the most populous county in the State, having, by the census of 1910, 153,386 
people. Due to the enormous war activities in this section, it is impossible 
to estimate the population to date. 

The varied character of the soils, coupled with climatic and transpor- 
tation superiorities, make this county the local figure in trucking activities. 
The "Norfolk Sand" is the term by which the government designates the 
finest trucking ground. It is easily tilled and quick to respond to the ap- 



168 Department of Agriculture 

plication of fertilizers, thus insuring maturity several weeks ahead of heavier 
soils. 

No section of the entire country presents a fairer prospect of profit 
through intensive farming. The influence of the Gulf stream so tempers 
the rigors of winter and prolongs the season of production that as many as 
four crops are raised annually from the same ground. The "fo' de war" 
boast of the planter at a sumptuous banquet that he served nothing save 
tea, coffee and sugar, which did not come from his own possessions, could 
be repeated to-day, and the diversity indicated in this boast has been am- 
plified until Norfolk county and the Tidewater section has become the larder 
for teeming millions in New York and other populous cities. Forty or more 
different crops are grown for distant markets, including a great variety of 
fruits and vegetables. 

Trucking is a commercial business, requiring the highest order of in- 
telligence and industry, and experience during a series of years has amply 
proven its profitable character. Rapid transportation is the great factor in 
its enlargement. Long Island cannot supply fresher green stuff to the New 
York market than can the Old Dominion steamers and our railroads, which 
land their freight fifteen hours after leaving the fields. Immense local plants 
supply the millions of packages and the thousands of tons of fertilizer used 
in the agricultural activities of this county; laborers in large numbers earn 
big wages; general business is sustained; bank deposits are swelled to great 
proportions, the whole bringing prosperity to more people than any other 
one industry in the State. 

Diversification in other agricultural activities is being manifested 
throughout this county. Dairying is receiving some attention. Sheep, 
poultry and hogs are coming into prominence, especially hog raising. 

Farmers' organizations are strong, with headquarters in the cities of 
Norfolk and Portsmouth. This county is an almost perfect illustration of 
business principles carried over into agriculture. With excellent schools 
and churches the county is well supplied. 

The roads are in first-class condition, mostly cement. The main thor- 
oughfares leading to the harbor are such that the auto truck is said to haul 
one-fourth of the great output of truck crops. Railways — more than half- 
dozen — pass through the trucking section. 

There are no "towns" in Norfolk county — it is all cities, suburbs and 
farms. Everybody does banking in the great cities on and around Hampton 
Roads. Norfolk city has a normal population of 125,000 people, with a 
population of 235,000 in a radius of twenty-five miles. It is the second 
greatest port of the United States with an immense business in shipments 
of coal, peanuts, lumber, sea food and vegetables. Portsmouth is situated 
on the Elizabeth river, immediately on the Hampton Roads basin. It is the 
terminus of three trunk line railroads, and has direct connection with five 
others. Government industries here represent an enormous investment cov- 
ering an immense acreage. 

Location, climate, soil, an almost faultless system of rail and water 
transportation and an intelligent citizenship have combined to bring the 
prosperity of this section to its present proportions, and are an ample guar- 
antee of its future. 

NORTHAMPTON — Occupying the southern portion of the Eastern 
Shore peninsula, seventy-eight miles from Richmond, with the Atlantic 
Ocean on the east, Chesapeake Bay on the west, and Accomac county (of 
which it was originally a part) on the north, lies Northampton county. 
Thirty miles long, with an average width of five miles, this county contains 
an area of 252 square miles, with a population of 20,472, an estimated in- 
crease of 3,000 over 1910 census. 

The surface is level, the soil light sandy, with clay subsoil, very easily 
improved. Farm products in which the county leads are Irish and sweet 
potatoes, trucks, corn and oats. Fruits do well, especially apples, and the 
smaller fruits and berries. The county is especially adapted to the growth 
of vegetables, ranking first in the State for the yield in onions per acre. 



Band Booh of Virginia 169 

Trucking is carried on very extensively, the land being especially adapted 
to this industry and scarcely excelled in any other section. The most im- 
portant and profitable products are Irish and sweet potatoes, abundant crops 
of both being the rule. 

The present condition of farms in this county is reported excellent. 
Grazing facilities are good and recent development in sheep, cattle, hog 
raising and poultry is noteworthy. The county affords also excellent oppor- 
tunities for dairying. Forest products of pine, oak, walnut and hickory 
abound, and the manufacture of timber is an important industry. 

The numerous rivers, bays and inlets with which its shores are indented 
contain fish and oysters in great quantity, variety, and of superior excel- 
lence, forming a source of cheap and luxurious living and large revenue to 
the inhabitants. Water fowls are also abundant and a source of much profit 
and sport to the huntsman. 

The New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk Railroad passes through the 
county for twenty miles, terminating at Cape Charles, on the Chesapeake 
Bay, a town of 3,000 inhabitants, from which point a steam tug and barge 
line connects with Norfolk, thus affording excellent transportation to the 
north and south. Eastville is the county seat. 

A spirit of enterprise and progress pervades the county. There are 
three farmers' organizations; educational advantages are fine; churches of 
all denominations; and roads excellent. 

NORTHUMBERLAND — Lying at the mouth of the Potomac river, on 
the Chesapeake Bay, sixty miles northeast from Richmond, Northumberland, 
one of the five counties constituting the Northern Neck of Virginia, was 
formed in 1648. It is twenty-five miles long and seven to eight miles wide, 
containing an area of 235 square miles. About forty-five per cent, of this 
area is in cultivation. The population is about 11,500. 

The surface of the county is level, the soil rich and alluvial on the 
streams; on the inlands, light and sandy and easily improved. The farm 
products are corn, wheat, oats, rye, sweet and Irish potatoes. Clover and 
other legumes grow abundantly, and the raising of clover seed has assumed 
considerable proportions in this county. Garden vegetables and fruits of 
all kinds are of the best produced. Poultry is an industry of importance, 
large numbers of fowls and eggs being marketed. The soil and market 
facilities favor the trucking industry, which is increasing yearly. There 
are some good breeds of stock kept and conditions are favorable for this in- 
dustry. 

The most valuable timbers are oak, pine, poplar and chestnut, the 
forests being considerably depleted, but the cord wood and tie industry is 
still important. Poplar is also exported. 

The county is scarcely second to any in the State in extent and value 
of its fisheries and oyster beds, and water fowls abound in great abundance. 
The fishing season lasts about half the year, employing a great number of 
men and vessels. There are many large and important fish factories in ope- 
ration, engaged in the manufacture of fish oil and fish fertilizer. Other en- 
terprises are oyster-packing plants, planing mills, canneries, and a recent 
enterprise in projection is the building of a broom factory at Lodge to utilize 
home-grown material. 

Unparalleled commercial facilities exist on account of the numerous 
navigable waters with coast-line and inland-line of steamers connecting 
with Baltimore, Washington, Alexandria and Norfolk, affording excellent 
market advantages for such products as melons, fresh vegetables, oysters, 
fish, poultry and eggs. Local material is being used to advantage in im- 
provement of rural roads, and increasing attention is given to construction 
and maintenance. School and church advantages are good. 

Heathsville, located in the center of the county, is the county seat. A 
strong bank at this point serves an enterprising, business community. A 
bank is also located at Reedville, another town of importance. 

Northumberland combines in location and natural resources the splendid 
opportunities of the Northern Neck. 



170 Department of Agriculture 

NOTTOWAY — Nottoway county, situated in the south-central part of 
the State, thirty-tliree miles southwest from Richmond, was formed in 1788 
from Amelia. It is twenty-five miles long by twenty miles in width, and 
has an area of 304 square miles, or 198,400 acres. Population at present is 
estimated at 14,000. 

The surface of the county is level. The elevation varies from 200 to not 
quite 600 feet above sea-level. The soils vary in composition and fertility, 
clay loams and sand loams predominating. Nottoway county is primarily 
an agricultural county, the principal crops being corn, wheat, oats and to- 
bacco, especially the latter, of which the yield is very large and of excellent 
quality. The grasses, alfalfa and other legumes are successfully grown in 
this county, and the dairy business is quite extensive in some sections. 
Cattle and hogs are also profitably raised, and this industry bids fair to 
become very profitable. 

Among the forest products are pine, oak, hickory, walnut, poplar, chest- 
nut, cedar and ash. As a result of lumbering and clearing there are now 
two principal types of forest, the "pine" and hardwoods" type, and the 
"pure pine" or "old field" type. The manufacture of lumber is an important 
industry. Box shooks, staves, spokes, headings, cord wood and railroad ties 
are manufactured. 

Ample water supply and drainage are furnished by the Nottoway and 
Little Nottoway rivers in the south and tributaries of the Appomattox 
river in the north. The divide between the Nottoway and Appomattox rivers 
lies almost in the center of the county, and runs nearly east and west, 
swinging a little to the northwest and the southeast. Flour mills and many 
saw mills utilize this water power. The minerals are kaolin, mica, granite 
and soapstone, but undeveloped. 

The transportation facilities of the county are very good. The main 
line of the Norfolk and Western Railway runs east and west through the 
center of the county, the northwest corner being crossed by the Richmond 
and Danville Division of the Southern Railway. These two railroads in- 
tersect at Burkeville. The distances from Nottoway Court House, the center 
of the county, to the large neighboring cities, are as follows: to Richmond, 
62 miles; to Lynchburg, 80 miles; to Norfolk, 124 miles. Wagon roads are 
quite numerous throughout the county. The main roads are now in good 
condition, and the county is putting them in first-class order as rapidly as 
possible. 

Public schools and churches are numerous. Excellent high schools are 
located at Blackstone, Crewe and Burkeville. Vocational agriculture is 
taught at the Burkeville High School. 

Blackstone, with a population of 2,500, is the largest town. This is an 
enterprising town with two banks, manufacturing interests, a live tobacco 
market, excellent educational advantages, both public and private, nume- 
rous churches, and refined social life. 

Crewe is an important railroad town, the site of the Norfolk and 
Western shops for the eastern division. Burkeville, at the intersection of the 
Norfolk and Western and Southern Railways, is situated in a fine agricul- 
tural and dairying section of the county. Nottoway, the county seat, is lo- 
cated near the center of the county, on the Norfolk and Western Railroad. 
This is an attractive village of several hundred people, with good schools, 
churches, and water power. 

Climate, soil and location combine to make investments in this county 
as desirable as any in Middle Virginia. 

ORANGE — Organized in 1764 from the territory of Spotsylvania. 
Orange county is sixty miles from Richmond, situated in the Piedmont sec- 
tion. Its greatest length is thirty-eight miles, and width ranges from five 
to fourteen miles, containing an area of 349 square miles. The population 
In 1910 was 13,500, with a normal increase reported to date. 

The surface in the eastern portion is undulating and hilly; mountainous 
to some extent in the central and western portion. The soil is a dark, red 



Hand Booh of Virginia 171 

clay, producing large crops of grain, grasses, alfalfa and other legumes. 
This is a fine grass-growing and grazing country. The rearing of cattle, 
sheep and hogs is extensive, and for these purposes this county is second to 
none, perhaps, outside of the blue grass region. Dairying has increased fifty 
per cent, in the past ten years. The county is also peculiarly adapted to 
fruit growing — apples, cherries, grapes, and all the standard varieties of 
fruit. Fruit growing and stock raising rank among the most profitable in- 
dustries of the county. 

Forest products indigenous to this section are found. 

Indications point now to the manufacture of timber as an important in- 
dustry. Minerals are iron, gold, asbestos, fire clay, marble and limestone, 
some of which have been successfully developed. 

Two main lines of railroad serve the county — the Southern and Chesa- 
peake and Ohio. Also a narrow gauge — P. F. and P. Railroad — and the new 
Rapidan Railroad now under construction. Rural roads are good. There are 
forty odd miles of hard rock road, twenty miles of sand road, and over 
sixteen miles of improved soil road. 

Rural high schools are in every community with population demanding 
them. The town high schools are well equipped and accredited. Churches 
of different denominations are sufl^cient and well located. The county is 
well under organization by the farmers. 

Orange, the county seat, is located in the west central part of the county, 
eighty miles northwest of Richmond, and is the center of the railroad sys- 
tem of the county. The population is about 2,000. Gordonsville is a town 
of importance, with 2,000 people. 

Recent reports indicate a steady agricultural development; the area 
under cultivation has increased; increase in quantity and quality of farm 
products is reported. Industrial activity is manifested in the erection of 
canning factories, located at Gordonsville and Unionville, respectively. A 
new railroad is being built from Rapidan, terminating at Orange — the Rapi- 
dan Railroad — which will be largely engaged in handling lumber. 

PAGE — Constituting a part of the rich and beautiful Shenandoah Val- 
ley, Page county was formed from Shenandoah and Rockingham counties 
in 1831. It is located in the northern part of the State, ninety miles north- 
west from Richmond. The entire county is a valley, thirty miles in length 
and about eleven miles in width, with the Blue Ridge for its eastern and the 
Massanutten mountains as western boundaries. The Shenandoah river tra- 
verses its entire length. The area is 347 square miles, and the population, 
15,500. 

The surface of the county is gently undulating; the soil a rich lime- 
stone of great fertility, yielding large crops of wheat, corn, oats, rye, and 
the grasses. Grazing facilities, especially the Blue Ridge section, are ex- 
cellent, and horses and cattle and sheep are extensively raised. Fruits and 
vegetables do well. There are a number of small orchards and several large 
commercial propositions coming into prominence. The dairy and poultry 
products are considerable and a source of much profit. Situated within five 
hours' run of Washington and Baltimore, these cities afford excellent 
markets, although much of the poultry, dairy and vegetable products find a 
home market in the hotels, boarding houses, tanneries and other enterprises 
in the county. 

There are a number of saw mills in the county manufacturing the usual 
timber indigenous to this section. Ocher, manganese and copper are found, 
and have been developed to a considerable extent. 

Convenient transportation north and south is afforded by the Shenan- 
doah Valley Division of the Norfolk and Western Railway. Rural roads are 
in good condition, construction and maintenance receiving attention. 

Schools and churches are conveniently located. The modern spirit of 
progressiveness and greater efficiency is evinced in the superintendence of 
the rural and high schools. 



Hand Book of Virginia 173 

Luray, the county seat, is a beautiful town, situated on the Shenandoah 
Yalley Division of the Norfolli and Western Railway and in the center of the 
rich and picturesque Page valley. Not only is this an attractive residence 
town, a popular summer resort and Mecca for the tourist and sightseer 
with its noted Luray Caverns unrivalled for the marvelous beauty of their 
crystal-like formations, but its industrial activities are prominent as well. 
The tannery and bark works located here are large and successful enter- 
prises, employing from 300 to 400 men, with a department for manufactur- 
ing belts also. Other industries are flour mills, canneries and lumber manu- 
facturing plants. A large turbine plant on the Shenandoah river furnishes 
the town with electric light and power. There are two strong banks, well- 
equipped hotels, the usual stores, a fine high school and adequate churches. 
"Sky Land," located on the top of Stony mountain, 4,200 feet above the 
sea, nine miles from Luray, attracts a number of summer visitors from the 
Northern cities. 

The terminal shops of the Shenandoah Valley Division of the Norfolk 
and Western Railway are located at Shenandoah. The county is served by 
four banks; two at Luray and one each at Shenandoah and Stanley. 

PATRICK — This county was formed from Henry in 1781. It is in 
the southwestern portion of Virginia, 158 miles from Richmond, air line, and 
is the most western county of the State south of the Blue Ridge, which forms 
its western boundary. It contains an area of 489 square miles. Population, 
1910, was 17,195. 

The red clay soils of this county are well adapted to corn, wheat, oats^ 
rye, tobacco and the grasses. In the southern half, along the North Carolina, 
border, and the portion adjoining Henry county, is the fine tobacco belt.. 
About half the county is really in the famous Blue Ridge section, well 
adapted to grain, grass and cattle, especially in the northern section on the- 
"Meadows of Dan" — a beautiful plateau on and near the top of the Blue- 
Ridge. Stock raising is a considerable industry, physical conditions making: 
it vei'y profitable. 

Patrick is an exceptionally fine fruit county. The soil and climate are- 
peculiarly adapted to its growth, and, this fact being appreciated, vast areas; 
have been converted into orchards. There are six large commercial or- 
chards, two of which contain 60,000 trees, all having near railroad transpor- 
tation. In addition to these, there are twelve other orchards, containing" 
from 1,000 to 10,000 trees each, besides hundreds of smaller ones giving phe- 
nomenal profit. Great productions per tree are recorded in Patrick — 90 to 
220 bushels per tree in a single year are certified facts. These apples have 
won first premiums at State Fairs and National Expositions. The best apple 
zone is 1,300 to 2,500 feet in altitude. 

Transportation facilities are good — three railroads terminating in the 
county. Road construction is receiving attention which will result in marked 
benefit. The county is well watered by the Dan, Smith, and Mayo rivers,, 
with smaller tributaries. The finest cold, freestone springs abound every- 
where. 

There are over fifty churches in the county, schools are conveniently lo- 
cated, and R. F. D. routes permeate all sections. 

Stuart, the county seat, is a thriving town of 800 population, located in 
the center of the marvelous orchard section. It is the terminus of the Dan- 
ville and Western Railroad. This town has two banks, serving a prosperous, 
community. 

PITTSYLVANIA— This county was formed in 1667 from Halifax, and 
is the central southern county of the State, 110 miles southwest from Rich- 
mond, and bordering the North Carolina line. It is thirty-five miles long and 
is the 8e6e»4 largest county in area in the State, containing-5^§(l&iare miles. 
The present population is estimated at 51,500. Elevation, 624 feet at. 
Chatham. 



Hand Booh of Virginia 175 



The surface is generally rolling and hilly, with some low mountains, and 
a very large area of fertile bottom land along the streams. The soil is 
varied in character and adaptable for cultivation of almost every known crop 
of the latitude. The soil of the uplands is light gray and gravelly, producing 
an immense quantity of the finest bright yellow tobacco, nearly doubling in 
quantity any other county in the State, constituting the money crop of the 
county. The soil of the lowlands, along the streams, varies from a stiff red 
to a sandy character, and is very fertile, producing fine crops of corn, wheat, 
oats, rye and grass. Fruits and vegetables of all kinds common to other sec- 
tions of the State are grown to great perfection, and together with dairy pro- 
ducts, peanuts, etc., are sources of considerable revenue to the farmer. 

Stock raising presents an inviting field in this county. All conditions are 
favoi'able for raising cattle, hogs and sheep, as well as dairying, and pro- 
gressive farmers are quick to take advantage of this profitable feature in im- 
proving and augmenting income. 

This county has excellent railroad facilities, having connection with 
Richmond, Lynchburg, Martinsville, Greensboro and Norfolk, through its 
various lines — the Atlantic and Danville, Danville and Western, and the 
Southern Railway and its branches. Telephone service and mail facilities 
are first-class. Much attention is given to road improvement and bridges. 
Progress and improvement are noted in all lines of agriculture nd business. 

Market advantages of this county are excellent, supplied by its con- 
venient railroad facilities and the large demand at Danville, its manufactur' 
Ing city, located on both sides of the Dan river in the extreme southern end 
of the county. This city controls the "bright" loose leaf tobacco market of 
this county, buyers from every country on the globe having their representa- 
tives on the Danville market. Her cotton textile mills are the largest in the 
South. 

Other towns are Chatham, the county scat, situated on the Southern 
Railway in the center of the county, a thriving town, with two banks, and 
Gretna, on the Southern Railway in the north-central part of the county, 
served by a strong bank. 

POWHATAN — This county was organized in 1777, formed from Gooch- 
land. It is located in the central portion of the State, twenty miles west of 
Richmond, the James river forming its northern and the Appomattox river 
its southern boundaries. The county is twenty-five miles long and about 
fifteen miles wide, containing an area of 284 square miles, one-third of which 
is under cultivation. The population, census of 1910, Avas 6,099, with an 
estimated increase of ten per cent, at present. 

The surface away from the streams is gently undulating. The soil of 
the county varies from a light gray to a stiff red clay, and is fairly fertile, 
especially on the river bottoms. Farm products are corn, wheat, tobacco, 
oats and hay, tobacco being the principal money crop. All of the grasses do 
well in this county, clover, timothy, herds grass, millet, orchard grass, and 
legumes being successfully grown. 

This is one of the finest apple counties in Middle Virginia, and peaches, 
pears, plums, grapes, berries, melons and other fruits do well and are little 
susceptible to damages from insects. 

Railroad transportation is furnished by the Southern Railroad in the 
eastern section. There is a considerable mileage of improved rural roads 
throughout Powhatan. The soil used in surfacing the roads was of superior 
quality and has proven very satisfactory. Community interest in road con- 
struction is strong. 

Farmers' organizations are active in the county. Improvement in rural 
conditions and methods of farming operations may be noted. More farm 
machinery is being used. Farms reflect progress and improvement as a re- 
sult. School and church facilities are good. 

Powhatan, the county seat, is located near the center of the county. 

A healthful climate, good soil, central location and kind people are 
the advantages Powhatan offers to the homeseekor desiring to pursue gen- 
eral farming operations. 



Hand Book of Virginia 111 

PRINCE EDWARD — This county was formed in 1753 from Amelia, and 
is situated in ttie south-central part of the State, sixty miles southwest from 
Richmond. It is twenty-five miles long and about twelve miles wide, con- 
taining an area of 345 square miles, over one-third of which is in cultivation. 
The population is 14,500. 

The surface is rolling. The soil is varied, gray loam, red and chocolate 
loams, or sandy. It is generally productive and well adapted to various farm 
products, chief of which are tobacco, corn and wheat. All forage crops, 
especially the legumes, are produced in abundance, grasses — clover, timothy, 
red top — being profitably grown. This is not a natural grazing section, save 
for sheep, and in that particular ranking well, but its adaptability to forage 
crops and grasses has brought into prominence dairying, cattle and hogs. 
All fruits and vegetables common to the State do well, potatoes yielding 
phenomenally well. 

The forest products are oak, pine and poplar in the main. The manu- 
facture of timber, ties, etc., is an important industry. One plant in the town 
of Farmville is doing a good business in the manufacture of plow handles 
and beams. 

Transportation is furnished by the Norfolk and Western, the Southern 
and Virginian railways. Rural road construction is active; three steel 
bridges, with concrete substructure, have recently been built. 

Churches of all Protestant denominations are ample. Educational 
advantages are superior — with Hampden-Sidney for men, the State Female 
Normal School, and a fine system of public schools — well equipped high and 
graded schools. 

Farmville, the principal town and county seat, is a thriving town of 
5,000 people, and a place of considerable importance as a tobacco manufac- 
turing center, being the fifth largest in the State. The State Female Normal 
School is located here, also an excellent High School. Hampden-Sidney Col- 
lege, founded in 1775, is seven miles distant, reached by a macadamized road. 
The Farmville Lithia Springs are noted for the curative properties of their 
waters, which are shipped to all parts of this and foreign countries. 

Prince Edward is perhaps one of the best located counties in the Com- 
monwealth for a place to make homes. There are good schools, good 
churches, good roads, good water, good soil, and the very best climate. 

TPRINCE GEORGE — Formed in 1702 from Charles City, Prince George 
is located in the eastern portion of the State, seventeen miles southeast from 
Richmond, on the south bank of the James river, which separates it from 
its mother county. It is triangular in shape and contains an area of 302 
square miles. The population at present is about 8,600 normally, though 
there is a very much larger temporary population due to recent war activi- 
ties in that section. 

The surface is generally level; the soil a sandy loam and clay subsoil. 
There are extensive tracts of valuable alluvial lands on the rivers. The lead- 
ing farm products are corn, cotton, peanuts, grasses, wheat and oats. The 
light warm lands of the southern portion are especially adapted to the pea- 
nut and cotton industries. Fruits of all varieties are grown. Trucking is 
an important and lucrative industry in the regions adjacent to the river 
landings and Petersburg. Fish are abundant in the inland ponds and rivers; 
and the marshes furnish water fowl of the choicest varieties. Grazing facili- 
ties and the production of improved grasses are favorable to live stock of 
all kinds. 

Transportajtion facilities are supplied by the navigable rivers (the James 
and Appomattox), and the Norfolk and Western Railway and Atlantic Coast 
Line, affording easy access to the local and northern and southern markets. 
The rural roads are of gravel construction except the Hopewell road, which 
Is concrete. 

Marl of various sorts is abundant, and has been extensively used with 
good results. Fine white sandstone and valuable clays of several kinds have 
been developed. The timbers are pine, poplar, oak, walnut, gum, and other 



Hand Book of Virginia 179 

hard and soft woods, much of which is manufactured, a number of saw mills 
being in operation. 

The schools in this county are adequate and reflect the modern improve- 
ments in equipment and efficiency now prevailing in this State. 

Churches are adequate and conveniently located. The farmers are pro- 
gressive, interested in organizations and demonstrations of improved 
methods. 

In this county, abounding in historic associations dating from early 
colonial days, is located Camp Lee, one of the sixteen cantonments of the 
National Army, about three miles from Petersburg. 

Hopewell, a city reaching 35,000 population with a three-year growth, is 
located in Prince George, nine miles from Petersburg. This was the site 
of an enormous industry, established by the E. I. du Pont de Nemours 
Powder Company, where nitro-cellulose, or gun cotton, was manufactured. 
With the return of peace other permanent industries are contemplated, and 
many of the newcomers, who were interested in the wartime industries, 
will in all probability become permanent citizens of the town and county 
insuring its future prosperity. 

Prince George Court House is the county seat. 

The accessibility of this county to good local markets with excellent 
transportation, rail and water, make it an ideal location for intensive farm- 
ing in diversified products. 

PRINCE WILLIAM^Located in the northeast portion of the State, 
seventy miles air line from Richmond, and within about thirty miles from 
Washington, D. C, this county was formed in 1730 from Stafford and King 
George. It extends from Bull Run mountains on the north to the Potomac 
river on the south, and contains an area of 353 square miles. The popula- 
tion at present is estimated to be 13,228. 

Some portions of this county contain as fine lands as are to be found any- 
where in the State. The surface is rolling, soil freestone and generally 
good. Under a proper system of cultivation this land can be made quite 
productive, proximity to the National Capital undoubtedly increasing its 
value and importance. The principal farm products are corn, wheat, oats 
rye, potatoes, live stock, poultry and fruit. The legume and hay crop is also 
of considerable importance. 

In the upper and northern end of the county there are some fine blue 
grass lands, splendidly adapted to grazing and stock raising. Cattle and 
sheep are raised in large numbers for the northern markets, and horses of 
all breeds, from draft horses to hunters and racers. Hogs are also raised 
in great numbers, and dairying is an important industry, railway facilities 
placing the milk from stations in this section on the Washington market. 
Fruit of all kinds succeed well, and their culture is receiving attention. 
Grapes have been found to do well and considerable acreage is devoted to 
the vine in different sections. Poultry raising is another profitable business; 
in fact, the production of all food supplies finds a remunerative return in 
the accessible Washington market. There is a great boom at present in the 
pulp wood industry. 

Three railroads intersect the county, the main line of the Southern 
through the center. The rural roads are fairly well kept and receiving more 
attention annually. Schools compare favorably with other sections, and 
there are churches of practically all denominations. 

Manassas, the county seat, is situated at the junction of the main line 
of the Southern Railway, with the branch that extends westward through 
the Shenandoah Valley. This town is thirty-three miles southwest of Wash- 
ington, and is a trading center for a productive, populous section of the 
county. The population is 1,400. There are numerous churches, public and 
private schools. Eastern College, a District Agricultural High School, an 
Industrial School for Colored People, a large Catholic School, and a daily 
newspaper. Only a few miles distant from Manassas is the Bull Run battle- 
field, on which were fought two of the fiercest battles of the Civil War. 
Other towns of importance are Hay market and Occoquan. 



180 Department of Agriculture 

The favorable location and excellent transportation facilities to Wash- 
ington and other znarkets render Prince William especially attractive to the 
homeseeker and investor. Within the past few years many newcomers have 
settled here. Many handsome residences are conspicuous in and around 
Manassas, a very picturesque and attractive country. Agriculturally the 
western half of the county will compare favorably with any county in the 
State. Farmers' organizations are active. 

PRINCESS ANNE — Lying in the extreme southeastern corner of the 
State, this county was formed from Norfolk in 1691, 110 miles southeast of 
Richmond. It contains an area of 285 square miles, one-half under cultiva- 
tion. The population is 12,026. 

Surface is level; soil dark loam, marshy and sandy in some sections, 
with red clay subsoil, easily tilled and generally productive, especially the 
swamp lands in Holland swamp. Eastern Shore swamp and Blackwater. 
There are also some fine lands on the borders of the creeks and inlets. Farm 
products are corn, oats, potatoes and trucks, trucks of all varieties leading. 

The people are very extensively engaged in the latter, and large quan- 
tities of vegetables and fruits are annually shipped to the northern markets. 
For general truck this is one of the finest sections of the State, especially 
the Pungo district. 

Nature has been exceedingly lavish to this county in the bestowal of 
natural products, not only in large extent, but of superior quality. The 
county is noted for its fish — notably the catches in the Back bay — and oysters 
of unequalled quality. This is the home of the renowned Lynnhaven oysters, 
canvas-back duck and water fowl, the latter being in such abundance as to 
make gunning at certain seasons quite a profitable industry. 

Stock raising is principally restricted to the raising of cows for dairy 
and family use, the dairy industry being on the increase. Hogs are raised 
in considerable numbers. The forest products are pine, oak and cypress, 
numerous saw mills being in operation, as well as wood-using plants. 

Transportation facilities are ample and convenient to all sections of the 
country. The Norfolk and Western and Southern Railways penetrate the 
center, with branches to the south. The Albemarle Canal along the south- 
ern border, and numerous navigable bays and rivers, beside an ocean front 
of over twenty miles, supply water transportation. These afford very supe- 
rior market advantages. Roads under the new system are much improved. 
Eighteen miles of sand clay road has been recently constructed from Norfolk 
to Virginia Beach. 

Educational advantages are good, much improved by high and graded 
schools. Churches are numerous and conveniently distributed, representing 
the leading denominations. Farmers' organizations are active. 

Virginia Beach, a famous and attractive summer resort on the Atlantic 
shore, is in this county. It has one of the best bathing beaches on any coast. 
Near this point is located the State camp site and rifle range. There is trol- 
ley connection (Norfolk Southern Railroad) from City Hall avenue an 
Union Station, Norfolk. The population normally is about 500. Located 
here is an ice plant and packing houses for fish, of which large numbers are 
caught from the ocean. 

Cape Henry, projecting from the northeast corner of this county, was 
the first point of landing of Capt. John Smith in 1607. There are two light- 
houses here, one of which, built in 1815, has been abandoned and turned 
over to the Society for the Preservation of Antiquities. Upon this structure 
is a bronze memorial commemorating the landing of Capt. John Smith. 
There are also located here a United States Weather Bureau Station, a life 
saving station and an important wireless telegraph station. This point is 
connected with Norfolk by trolley (Norfolk Southern Railroad) also. 

Lynnhaven Bay lies about half way between Norfolk and Cape Henry, 
emptying directly into the Atlantic Ocean. In these waters are found the 
world renowned Lynnhaven oysters, and salt water fishing at this point is- 
unsurpassed. At Lynnhaven there is an up-to-date hotel and club house. 



Hand Booh of Virginia 181 

Princess Anne is the county seat, located in the center of the county, on 
the Norfolk Southern Railroad. 

Some farms in this county are highly improved, illustrating the possi- 
ble agricultural development of the county. This possibility, with superior 
market advantages and other local conditions, attracts the homeseeker and 
investor. 

PULiASKI — Named in honor of Count Pulaski, of Revolutionary 
fame, this county was formed in 183 9 from Montgomery and Wythe. 
It is situated in the great Southwest valley, 200 miles, air-line, south- 
west from Richmond. The county is twenty-three miles long from north 
to south and twenty miles wide from east to west, and contains an area 
of 245 square miles. Altitude ranges from 1,800 to 2,000 feet. Popu- 
lation of the county is about 18,500. 

The surface is level and rolling, in some parts mountainous. The 
soil is rich and productive. Wheat and corn are the staple grain crops, 
the average yield of which is fifteen to twenty-five bushels of wheat per 
acre, and from thirty-five to fifty bushels of corn per acre. Other farm 
products in which this county leads are cattle, sheep, hogs, potatoes and 
apples. Oats, rye and millet are grown to a considerable extent. The 
soil is well adapted to the artificial grasses and immense quantities of 
fine hay are annually produced; but the greatest agricultural wealth of 
this county consists in its splendid grazing facilities, being the natural 
home of what is termed Kentucky Blue Grass. It is unsurpassed in 
this respect by any county in the State for the territory embraced. 

The quality of cattle produced is very fine — equal to any in the 
United States — and the annual shipments are very large, the great pro- 
portion being sold for export to the English markets, and that sold 
in the Baltimore markets is conceded to be unsurpassed, commanding top 
prices. Much attention is paid by the leading agriculturists of the 
county to the introduction of superior breeds of cattle; also of horses, 
sheep and Tiogs, of which they make fine exhibits at their annual county 
fair. Large numbers of fine riding and driving horses are found in this 
county, and the lamb and wool product is very extensive. 

All the fruits of this latitude, such as apples, peaches, pears, plums, 
quinces and the smaller fruits, grow to igreat perfection here, and the 
fruit industry is growing in interest and importance. The dairy pro- 
ducts and early vegetables find a ready market at the home towns, and 
are a source of considerable revenue to the people. Other market ad- 
vanta,ges are afforded by the numerous furnaces and mines of the county 
that take a large proportion of the farmer's surplus, and at good prices. 

Noted as this county is for its great agricultural resources, it is no 
less so for its mineral wealth. Though small in extent of territory in 
comparison with other counties of this section, Pulaski is making a wide 
and favorable reputation in this respect — its mineral development in the 
past few years probably equaling any county in the State. Within its 
boundaries are found coal, iron, zinc, lead, manganese, millstone, grind- 
stone and whetstone rock of superior quality, and a fine building stone, 
both in the limes and sandstone, the latter unexcelled in quantity and 
quality. There are several mineral springs containing alum, lithia and 
iron, the most noted of which is Hunter's Alum Springs, near Little 
Walker's creek, eight and a half miles from Pulaski, which has had a 
growing reputation among the sick, dating back fifty years. 

Transportation is furnished by the Norfolk and Western traversing 
the county with two lines. The rural roads are in good condition, about 
ninety-five miles being macadamized. Schools and churches are ample 
and well located, the former reflecting the modern development in 
equipment and curriculum which pervades the State. 

Pulaski, the chief city and county seat, is on the Norfolk and 
Western Railway, at the Junction of the North Carolina branch. At an 




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Hand Booh of Virginia 183 

altitude of 2,100 feet, the climate is healthful and invigorating. Pulaski 
is the jobbing center for three rich counties to the north and west, and is 
the only outlet for four Virginia counties to the south. There are two 
banks, three large plants manufacturing pig iron 8.nd a general foundry 
business, and there is also an extensive plant making sulphuric acid. 

]\iuch progress and improvement is noted throughout this county 
so splendidly endowed naturally. Dairying and stock raising are on 
the increase. About thirty-five silos have been built this year; ten trac- 
tors have been bought; a woolen mill has been erected. Farmers' or- 
ganizations and community clubs are active. Splendid agricultural and 
industrial advantages, with the valuable asset of a dry, invigorating 
climate, comparatively mild, a pure atmosphere free from malaria, fine 
water, principally limestone, though freestone water is found, make 
Pulaski county conspicuous. 

RAPPAHANNOCK — Formed in 1831 from Culpeper, this county is 
located in the northern part of the State, 100 miles northwest from 
Richmond, and contains an area of 164 square miles, the average size 
farm being 195 acres. The present population is 9,7 44 

The surface is undulating; the soil generally very fertile, producing fine 
crops of corn, wheat and apples. Also, oats, rye, buckwheat, potatoes, 
grasses, tobacco, and vegetables in abundance. 

The soil and climate are especially adapted to fruit growing, and 
conditions generally are favorable to this industry, apples especially. 
This county ships apples to the leading markets of the country and their 
quality commands the best prices. 

There are large areas of fine grazing land and upon these are raised 
fine horses, magnificent beef cattle, sheep and hogs. Since a more protective 
dog law has been enacted in this State a great impetus has been given the 
sheep industry, which was always important in this county. Nearly every 
farmer is a pork seller, and a great many of them are cattle and sheep sellers. 
Many fine work horses, bringing good prices in the markets of Washington, 
Baltimore and New York, are raised in Rappahannock. 

The forest products are oak, chestnut, pine, hickory, poplar and walnut. 
The manufacture of lumber is not an important industry for outside ship- 
ment. Recent industrial developments are a stave and heading plant, a 
locust pin factory, and an evaporating plant. In the mountain section of 
the county a great deal of tan bark is gathered annually, and this is quite 
an industry. The bark is shipped in large quantities to outside markets, 
and a vast deal of it is used in the many tanneries of the county. 

The county is well watered by the headwaters of the Rappahannock 
river, which also affords most excellent water power. In climate, health 
and water it is everything that could be desired. 

There is no railroad transportation within this county. There are, 
however, good county highways, which the people are interested in main- 
taining. Culpeper, on the Southern railway, thirty miles from the county 
seat of Rappahannock, is the principal railway shipping point. Many of 
the people of the western part of the county haul their products and drive 
their cattle, sheep, hogs and fine horses through and over the mountains 
to points on the Shenandoah branch of the Norfolk and Western for ship- 
ment by rail. An improved road will soon be completed from Front Royal 
to Culpeper. Trucks and automobiles are taking the place of wagons, thus 
facilitating travel and shipment handicapped by lack of railroads. 

The county is well supplied with churches and schools. The general 
condition of the farms is good. More machinery is being used; a great many 
tractors being noted. 

Washington, the county seat, is located near the center of the county, 
having daily communication with railroad points in Culpeper and Warren 
counties. Its population is 350. 

There are known to be valuable mineral deposits in this county, prin- 
cipally iron, but due to the lack of railway facilities they have never been 



184 Department of Agriculture 

developed. The timber interest also remains undeveloped for the same 
reason. These industries await the coming of the railway, but the farming 
interest, the orchard interest, and the stock-raising interest are progressive 
by virtue of the fact that an enterprising and intelligent citizenship with a 
productive soil have overcome this handicap. 

RICHMOND — This county was formed in 1692 from old Rappahannock. 
It is situated fifty miles southeast from Richmond in the section known as 
the Northern Neck. It is thirty miles long by about seven miles in width, 
and contains an area of 188 square miles, one-third in cultivation. The popu- 
lation in 1910 was 7,415, with an estimated increase to the present of ten 
per cent. 

The surface of the county is undulating; the soil a sandy loam with 
clay subsoil, and very fertile on lowgrounds. Farm products are wheat, 
corn, rye, oats, potatoes, fruits and vegetables, and grasses of various kinds. 
Grazing facilities are fairly good. The usual farm stock — horses, cattle, 
hogs and sheep — are raised, the latter, especially, are found to be quite pro- 
fitable. 

The most important and profitable industry of the county is the fish and 
oyster. The streams abound in large quantities, which are of superior 
quality. Game is also abundant and water fowl of choice varieties. 

Marl is found in large quantities and is used with good effect on the 
land. The forest products are oak, hickory, chestnut, gum, ash, maple, pine,, 
dogwood, elm, the pine and oak being converted into lumber by various 
saw mills throughout the county. 

There are no railroads, but water navigation is convenient, via the 
Rappahannock river and inlets, the former being navigable for large ves- 
sels. There are daily boats to Norfolk to Baltimore. Rural roads are in fair 
condition, the sand-clay type of construction being used. 

The Rappahannock river and numerous creeks afford ample water sup- 
ply. There are about fifteen canneries in the county, and a manufactory for 
truck and oyster barrels. The climate is mild, health and water good, 
churches convenient, and educational advantages are offered by Farnham 
Academy. Numerous public schools under efficient management, and four 
high schools. 

Warsaw, the county seat, is an inland country village of 400 population, 
situated near the center of the county, six miles from the river. The North- 
ern Neck State Bank, Inc., is located here, serving the business interests of 
a prosperous community. Another strong bank is located at Sharps on the 
Rappahannock river, a town of 300 people with large canning industries. 

Richmond county reflects the spirit and enterprise of a prosperous, con- 
tented people. There is much to recommend it to the homeseeker in its 
mild climate, fertile soil — easy of cultivation — ample telephone and mail 
service, cheap and abundant living and convenient access to market. 

ROANOKE — This county, formed from Botetourt in 1838, is situated 
west of the Blue Ridge mountains in the famous Roanoke valley, 175 miles 
almost due west from Richmond. It is twenty miles long and almost fifteen 
miles wide, containing an area of 297 square miles. The altitude at Salem 
is 1,006 feet. 

The surface is undulating being divided into valleys and mountains, the 
latter principally on its boundaries. The soil is alluvial, clay loam and 
limestone, very fertile, especially the valleys. 

Roanoke is the southern end of the Shenandoah Valley and the eastern 
boundary of the twenty counties comprising Southwest Virginia, thus link- 
ing two of the richest agricultural sections of the State. It is a splendid 
agricultural county, producing large crops of all the staple products, wheat, 
corn, oats, rye, hay, etc. Great progress in fruit culture has been made in 
recent years, all varieties doing well. Vegetables also are grown to great 
extent and perfection, which, together with peaches, berries, etc., are put 



Hand. Book of Virginia 185 

up in large quantities by the many canning establishments located in this 
county and Botetourt county adjoining. 

Roanoke county is one of the foremost apple-growing counties in the 
State, containing some of the largest orchards in the United States. The 
soil and climate are especially adapted to apples. Large shipments are an- 
nually made to the markets of Europe direct from the orchards. 

For generations this district has been famous for its cattle and sheep, 
and the farmers are now turning to intensive cultivation with a resultant 
large production of grain, grasses and dairy products. Grazing facilities in 
this county, in common with all others in this section of the State, are 
superior, especially in the bluegrass section of the northern part. Cattle 
and sheep have direct and quick transportation, via Shenandoah Valley 
railroad to the large markets. Trucking is quite an important industry, and 
Roanoke city and the coal fields furnish excellent markets for this and 
other farm products. 

Most excellent transportation facilities are furnished by the different 
lines of the Norfolk and Western system traversing the county, which in- 
clude the main line east and west, the Shenandoah Valley division leading 
northeast to the great cities of that section, and the Roanoke and Southern 
south through the tobacco counties of the southern Piedmont and into 
North Carolina, and the Virginian Railway, which runs the entire length of 
the county. Much interest is manifested in road construction. A good grade 
of limestone is found and considerable mileage is macadamized. 

Educational advantages are very superior. In addition to its excellent 
public school system, there are male and female colleges of high order, 
notably Roanoke College, located at Salem, and Hollins College, six miles 
from the city of Roanoke, in a most beautiful and picturesque section, and 
Virginia College for the education of women, on the outskirts of Roanoke. 

Salem, the county seat, is located near the center of the county in 
the beautiful Roanoke Valley, through which flows Roanoke river, and 
around which rise the Blue Ridge and Alleghany mountains. This is the 
center of a rich farming and fruit growing section. The mountains sur- 
rounding the town are dotted with orchards, with fruit of the very finest 
quality. Among the manufacturing interests of the town are a tannery, 
glass plant, foundry, a large flouring mill, etc. 

Roanoke city, the third largest city in the State, with community popu- 
lation of 50,000, is the gateway to the Virginia and West Virginia coal 
fields, and the center of development for limitless resources of minerals and 
timber in the territory adjacent. Location and resources adjacent are the 
contributing factors in the marvelous development of this progressive city. 

This is a progressive county, fully apprised of her agricultural resources 
and determined to measure up to the attendant responsibilities. Splendid 
agricultural and industrial opportunities await the homeseeker and investor. 

ROCKBRrDGE — Formed from Augusta and Botetourt in 1778, this 
county was named for its great natural curiosity, the Natural Bridge. 
Rockbridge is one of the great Valley counties lying between the Blue Ridge 
and Alleghany mountains, 159 miles due west from Richmond. It is thirty- 
one miles in length and twenty-two miles in width, containing 593 squa. 
miles (about three-fourths in cultivation and pasturage). The average size 
farm is about 150 acres. With an estimated increase of ten per cent, 
over 1910 census, the population is at present 26,857. 

The surface of the county is rolling and in part mountainous, especially 
on the eastern and western borders. The soil is chiefiy limestone, very 
fertile and highly improved, especially in the central portion of the county. 
Like all the Valley counties, this is a rich agricultural and pastoral county, 
producing fine crops of grain and all the cultivated grasses. Fruits of all 
kinds do well, and farm dairying and poultry raising are sources of con- 
siderable profit. This county has much very fine blue grass grazing lands, 
which render stock raising profitable and the chief farm industry. The 
leading farm products are hay, wheat, corn and vegetables. Four canneries 
are established in this county, which are doing well. 




Natural Bridge one of nature's wonders, near Lexington Rockkridge county 



Hand Book of Virginia 187 

The mineral resources of this county are important and constitute one 
of its sources of wealth. Its various deposits include iron ore of exception- 
ally fine quality, tin ore, manganese, barytes, kaolin, gypsum, marble and 
limestone. Several of these have been developed and are being successfully 
worked. The mineral waters of the county are conspicuous, embracing the 
Rockbridge Alum, Wilson's White Sulphur 'and Rockbridge Baths — all 
places of popular resort for health and pleasure. The Natural Bridge hotels 
furnish large popular resorts. 

The most valuable species of timber are oak, pine, poplar, walnut, 
hickory and chestnut. The forest products are lumber, railroad ties, locust 
pins, pulp wood, extract wood, etc. The manufacture of timber is an im- 
portant industry. 

This county is unusually well watered, by the James river through its 
southern border, North river in the central portion, and by their very 
numerous tributaries, streams and springs. Excellent water power is 
afforded (some of which is utilized), and good supplies of fish, especially of 
bass, are found. There are numerous grain and saw mills located along 
the streams. 

Transportation facilities are furnished by branches of the Chesapeake 
and Ohio, the Norfolk and Western and Baltimore and Ohio railroads. Road 
building and improvement are under construction. The National highway, 
extending from Augusta county line, through Lexington, Natural Bridge 
to Buchanan, is the most important road in the county. 

Educational and church advantages of this county are unsurpassed. 
There are thirteen high and graded schools, not including the towns of Lex- 
ington, Buena Vista and Goshen, and one hundred primary schools. Sunday 
school and church advantages are the very best. A progressive agricultural 
spirit is manifested in several farmers' clubs. 

Lexington, the county seat, is situated on North river, near the center 
of the county, surrounded by a beautiful and fertile country, and is a beauti- 
ful and growing city, with a population of 4,000. Two railroads, the Chesa- 
peake and Ohio and the Baltimore and Ohio, furnish splendid transportation 
facilities. Here are located Washington and Lee University and the Vir- 
ginia Military Institute, famous institutions of learning, the former char- 
tered in 1782 as Liberty Hall Academy, first endowed by Washington and 
later receiving the added lustre of the name of Robert E. Lee, its president 
for six years after the Civil War, and the latter a State institution, the 
"West Point" of the South, founded in 1839. Lexington is also noted as the 
home of Stonewall Jackson before the war, and of Robert B. Lee after the 
war, and is the burial place of both. 

Buena Vista is an important manufacturing town of 3,569 people, located 
in the eastern end of the county, on the Valley division of the Norfolk and 
Western railway and the James river branch of the Chesapeake and Ohio. 
Her industries include an iron furnace, a foundry, a paper and pulp mill, 
an extract plant, two lumber and flouring mills, a cannery, and among re- 
cent developments is a new process brick plant, utilizing waste from an iron 
furnace. 

Other recent industrial developments are a clay products company, lo- 
cated at Glasgow, a town of 450 people, manufacturing brick, hollow block, 
drain tile, and an iron corporation, at Goshen, a town of 300 people, using 
ferro-manganiferrous ores, as much as possible Virginia ores. 

The scenery of Rockbridge is grand and picturesque, and the county 
contains several points of great interest to the traveler and pleasure seeker, 
among which the most noted is the Natural Bridge, a natural rock arch 215 
feet high and 100 feet wide, spanning cedar creek, a small mountain stream, 
ninety feet. It is famous as being one of the greatest natural curiosities in 
the world, of which Marshall said, "It is one of God's greatest miracles in 
stone." Other interesting points are Balcony Falls on the James, and Goshen 
Pass on North river. 

The area under cultivation in this county has very much increased. 
The general condition of the farms reflects progress and improvement. In 



Hand Book of Virginia 189 

recent years commercial orchards have been developed and the lands have 
been found to be admirably adapted to fruits and vegetables. Many farmers 
are going into dairying and diversifying in other lines. With a view to 
furnishing facilities for dairying a creamery has recently been established. 
Splendid opportunities are awaiting the investor and homeseeker. 

ROCKINGHAM — This county is located in the heart of the Shenandoah 
Valley, its eastern boundary being the summit of the Blue Ridge while the 
western portion lies on the foothills of the Alleghany mountains, the north- 
western portion bordering on the State of West Virginia, fi'om which it 
Is separated by the North or Shenandoah mountains. It was formed from 
Augusta in 1778, the area being 870 square miles. The present population 
is something over 36,000, which is an increase of about 4 per cent, in the past 
ten years. 

The rainfall of this section is about 40 inches annually, distributed 
well throughout the growing season. The summers are mild, and even during 
the hottest weather the nights are delightfully cooled by the mountain air. 
The winters are never severe — just enough snow and freezing to keep health 
and vigor in perfect tone. The county is well watered with numerous 
brooks and streams, several of which unite at the foot of the Blue Ridge 
mountains to form the Shenandoah river. Springs of pure sparkling water 
are to be found everywhere, many being of mineral type, high in medicinal 
properties. Summer resorts, well frequented, are to be found at several of 
these mineral springs located in the beautiful foothills of the mountains on 
either side of the valley. 

The surface is rolling and mountainous on the southeast and noi'thwest 
borders. The greater portion is valuable farm land under cultivation, the 
average farm being about 100 acres. The soil is a strong, fertile clay over a 
limestone base. This is pre-eminently an agricultural county, ranking as 
one of the leading counties of the State and high among the counties of the 
United States. The leading crops are wheat, corn and hay, clover and alfal- 
fa being sown each year in increased acreage. As a grain producing county 
Rockingham has no peer. The better farms produce from 25 to 35 bushels 
of wheat per acre, as high as 45 bushels having been attained on the 
best farms. Not only is this a notably fine grain-producing county, but it is 
peculiarly a grass and stock section, which is perhaps the principal source 
of its prosperity. Hay is grown in great abundance, and, being a natural 
bluegrass soil, large numbers of choice cattle, horses and hogs are annually 
shipped from this county to the Northern markets. Some of Virginia's 
finest horses are reared in this county, Harrisonburg being one of the leading 
markets for heavy draft horses in the east. 

There has been a marked increase in the number of pure bred dairy and 
beef cattle in the past few years. There are at present five creameries in the 
county. At Harrisonburg there are three large poultry fattening plants, the 
combined output of which amounts to several million dollars annually. Rock- 
ingham is also one of the leading fruit counties in the famous Fruit Belt of 
Virginia. 

The forest products of the county furnish a large portion of the lumber 
needs. Two national forest reserves include portions of the county. 

About one-fifth, or 200 miles, of the county roads are improved rock 
highways, in addition to the State highway, known as the Shenandoah 
Valley Pike, world famous for its scenic beauty, which crosses the county 
from north to south. The county is served by four railroads, the Baltimore 
and Ohio and Norfolk and Western, which cross the county from north to 
south, the Southern running from Manassas to Harrisonburg, and the Chesa- 
peake and Ohio traversing the county from east to west. 

The school system is unsurpassed in the State, there being eleven high 
schools all of which are teaching agriculture, a Smith-Hughes high school, 
and a State normal school for vt^omen. 

Harrisonburg, the county seat as well as the largest town, is located near 
the geographic center of the county, with a population of about 6,000. In 



Hand Book of Virginia 191 

addition to the immense poultry fattening plants, Harrisonburg lias a large 
tannery, incubator factory, foundry, shirt factory, tent factory and many 
other important industries. It has a live chamber of commerce, owns its 
own water and electric systems and boasts of a very low tax rate. 

The farmers of Rockingham in addition to being prosperous are pro- 
gressive and up-to-date in their methods. They have organized eleven far- 
mers' clubs, which are united into a county association. There is a county 
Pure-bred Livestock Association, holding annual sales, a County Fair Asso- 
ciation, a county Horticultural Society, and a county Poultry Association. 
There are nine banks in the county with total resources of $5,280,000. To the 
enterprising farmer, one who farms on a business basis, this county offers 
rare advantages; indeed, among the counties of the State none offers greater 
inducements to prospective settlers. 

RUSSEIjL — This county was formed in 1786 from Washington. It is 
situated in the southwestern part of the State, 370 miles southwest from 
Richmond. This is a large county, being forty miles long from east to west, 
and twenty miles wide from north to south, containing an area of 503 square 
miles. The altitude ranges from 1,500 to 2,000 feet. 

The surface of this county, to a considerable extent, is broken. There 
are some fertile sections in the valley and along the streams producing fine 
crops of grain and grass, far exceeding the average in most of the counties 
of the State. Especially is it noted for its unexcelled blue grass, upon 
which are raised large numbers of fine cattle that are annually shipped out 
to markets in all parts of the country. 

The principal farm products are corn, wheat, oats, hay, rye, and potatoes, 
fruits and vegetables finding a ready market in the coal mining region 
nearby. The grazing and feeding, not only of cattle, but of sheep, hogs and 
horses, is extensively carried on, and the quality and breeding are exception- 
ally fine. Stock raising, especially of cattle, is the principal industry of the 
county. The number of cattle annually sold is from 12,000 to 15,000. Of 
sheep there are about 10,000, and horses and mules about 5,000. 

The minerals of this county are very extensive and valuable, embracing 
coal, iron ore (red and brown hematite), manganese, lead, zinc, sandstone, 
limestone, marble and barytes. Hundreds of men are now employed in 
mining operations, and no doubt the mineral resources will prove one of 
the greatest sources of wealth in the county. 

Railroad facilities are furnished by the Clinch Valley Division of the 
Norfolk and Western Railway, which, traverses this county from east to 
west, and the Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio, passing through the north- 
western portion of the county. A system of macadamized roads connects 
all parts of the county and are of inestimable value. Other roads of less 
importance are being graded and macadamized at a steady and consistent 
rate in accord with the county's resources. 

Churches are numerous; the schools are excellent, public and graded; 
telephone service and mail facilities reach every part of the county. The 
Ninth Congressional District Agricultural High School (Lebanon State 
School) is located at Lebanon, in the center of the county. 

Lebanon, the county seat, is a beautiful little town, having a population 
of 375 people, situated in the center of the county, seven miles from Cleve- 
land, a station on the Clinch Valley Division of the Norfolk and Western 
Railroad, with which it has daily mail communication. An excellent mac- 
adam road connects the county seat with Cleveland, and automobiles ply 
between the two points, making the trip in twenty-five minutes. The county 
seat is healthfully located, 2,131 feet above the sea level. It is lighted with 
electricity, contains churches of different denominations, newspaper, hotels, 
stores, bank, an agricultural high school, fraternal orders, etc. 

Dante is the largest town in the county, having a present population 
of over 3,000. At this point the Clinchfield Coal Company has a valuable 
plant, with capacity of about 5,000 tons of coal daily. Other important towns 



192 Department of Agriculture 

are Honaker, Castlewood and Cleveland, all served by banks and doing a 
good local business. 

No description of Russell county would be complete without reference 
to the wonderful beauties of nature in the form of towering mountains, 
beautiful valleys, and crystal streams. Beautiful scenery and fine land- 
scape are presented to the eye on every hand. Notable among the latter are 
Elk Garden, Rosedale, and other sections, with their splendid grass lands, 
bordered by high mountains and threaded by streams constantly flowing 
from bold springs. 

A progressive spirit animates the farmers and stock men of this county. 
Farm practices are progressive; stockmen are organized to promote improve- 
ment in live stock conditions; rural homes are equipped with modern con- 
veniences. A delightful climate, a fertile soil, unexcelled blue grass pastures, 
enormous coal and mineral resources, and an intelligent, progressive people 
are the leading characteristics of Russell county. 

SCOTT — This county was formed in 1814 from Washington, Russell and 
Lee, and is situated in the extreme southwest portion of the State, 350 miles 
from Richmond, its southern boundary being the State of Tennessee. It had 
a population, census of 1910, of 23,814, with an increase of about 4 per cent, 
to the present. 

The surface is rather mountainous and hilly, but there are some fine 
farming and blue grass lands along Clinch river, which flows through the 
county from northwest to southwest, and on Holston river in the southern 
part; also a large amount of land in other sections, while not so smooth, 
is quite productive, yielding good crops of wheat, corn, rye, oats and buck- 
wheat, especially wheat and corn. The county is especially noted for its 
large production of sorghum and maple sugar, butter and other dairy pro- 
ducts. There is considerable area devoted to the cultivation of fruit, such 
as apples, peaches, pears, plums, cherries and some grapes. 

Grazing facilities are good and stock raising is an important and pro- 
fitable industry, large numbers of cattle, sheep, horses and mules, of good 
grade being marketed every year and bringing into the county consider- 
able revenue. 

Scott county is very rich in minerals, having an abundance of iron (red 
and brown), lead, coal, marble of various kinds and superior quality, barytes, 
fire clay and limestone. Some of these have been developed and mined to 
some extent. There is fine coal, both cannel and bituminous; zinc, lead, 
copper and gold, and mineralogists have pronounced Scott the richest in 
mineral resouces of any county in the Appalachian system. Salt is also 
known to exist in the southeast corner of the county, but to what extent 
it is not yet determined. There are several sulphur and chalybeate springs 
of known efficacy and reputation, the most important of which are Holston 
Springs on the Holston river, and Hagan's Springs on Staunton's creek, in 
the northern part of the county. 

Considerable areas abound in timber, such as walnut, oak of various 
varieties, pine, ash, cedar, linden, hickory, birch, sycamore, elm, etc. The 
manufacture of timber is quite an industry, there being a large number of 
saw mills in the county. 

The county is well watered by Clinch river and the north fork of the 
Holston river and their tributaries, these streams affording unlimited water 
power for mills and manufacturing purposes. 

Transportation is furnished by the Clinchfield and Ohio Railroad and 
the Virginia and Southwestern Railroad, extending from Bristol to Big 
Stone Gap. The rural roads are in good condition, considerable work in 
macadamizing and grading having been done last year. 

The climate of this county is equable, health uniformly good and water 
excellent. There are a large number of churches, fine schools, good tele- 
phone service and mail facilities. 

Gate City, the county seat, situated on a branch of the Holston river 
and on the Virginia and Southwestern Railroad, is an attractive town. 



Hand Booh of Virginia 193 

other important towns, with strong banks, are Dungannon, Clinchport and 
Nickelsville. 

In the matter of progress and general advancement conditions in Scott 
are highly favorable. Situated at an elevation of 1,400 feet, the scenery is 
beautiful and enchanting — an inviting land for the tourist and permanent 
homeseeker. 

SHENANDOAH — Formed from Frederick in 1772, this county was origi- 
nally called Dunmore, the name being changed to Shenandoah in 1777. It 
lies in the northern part of the State, 100 miles northwest from Richmond, 
and joins West Virginia. The area is 486 square miles. The population, 
1910 census, was 20,942, with an estimated increased of 5 per cent, at present. 

The surface is rolling and mountainous in some parts, especially the 
eastern and western sections of the county. About two-thirds of the area is 
cleared and cultivated. The soil is mostly disintegrated limestone, very 
strong and durable, and a large proportion of the county is of the best class 
of bottom and valley lands of great beauty and fertility. It is also noted 
for the high state of cultivation which characterizes its improved lands, and 
is justly called, in connection with the other Valley counties, "The Garden 
Spot of Old Virginia." 

This county ranks among the best grain counties of the State, espe- 
cially for wheat, which is exported principally in the state of flour, and has 
a high reputation. Also, corn, oats and rye in large quantities are produced. 

The next and probably equally important industry of the county is stock 
raising, considerable attention being paid to the improved grades of cattle, 
sheep, horses and hogs from Kentucky and elsewhere. This industry is 
rendered profitable on account of the magnificent grazing facilities in the 
blue grass uplands. 

Fruit growing is an important industry, and, like other counties of 
the Valley, many sections of this county are becoming vast orchards. Shen- 
andoah ranks among the best fruit producing counties in the State. The 
apples are of the best quality and command the highest price. 

Railroad facilities and market advantages are excellent, the Southern 
Railway and Baltimore and Ohio connecting the county with all sections. 
Rural roads are in fine condition. 

The schools and churches in this section are abundant and well located. 
Telephone and mail service is extensive, affording ample facilities for com- 
munication with all parts of the county. The north fork of the Shenandoah, 
traversing the county its entire length, with its tributaries, affords ample 
water supply and good water power for manufacturing purposes. 

Orkney Springs is a place of much resort for health and pleasure seekers. 
Woodstock, the county seat, located near the center of the county on the 
Manassas branch of the Southern Railway, is an active town in the 
midst of a fine farming and fruit section, two strong banks serving the busi- 
ness interests of a prosperous community. State banks are also located at 
Mount Jackson and Edinburg. Other flourishing towns are New Market and 
Strasburg. 

Like other counties in the Valley of Virginia, Shenandoah has a com- 
bination of natural advantages developed by thrifty, intelligent people, 
which has made this a section of national fame. 

SMYTH — Located in Southwestern Virginia, 240 miles from Richmond, 
Smyth county was formed in 1831 from Washington and Wythe. The county 
is thirty-two miles in its greatest length from north to south and twenty- 
two miles from east to west, containing an area of 486 square miles. The 
Clinch range mountains rise to a height of 4,000 to 4,500 feet above sea 
level. The Iron mountain rises in its White Top and Balsam peaks (in the 
southwest corner) to the magnificent height of 5,540 and 5,730 feet, respec- 
tively, marking them as the highest peaks in Virginia. The population, 
estimated to date, is 22,600. 



Hand Booh of Virginia 



195 



The surface of the county is mainly hilly and mountainous in parts. 
The valleys of the north, middle and south forks of the Holston river, in- 
cluding Rich Valley on the north side of Walker's mountain, and Rye Valley 
on the south side of the county, show all the fine features characteristic 
of the best lands of the Valley of Virginia. There is a large area of level 
or river bottom land lying along each of these rivers, affording alluvial 
deposits of great depth and fertility, and capable of constant cropping 
without deterioration. The lands are mainly in the limestone area and yield 
largely of the various crops, corn, wheat, oats, rye, buckwheat, hay, cabbage 
and potatoes, corn and wheat leading. Cabbage and potatoes are very re- 
munerative crops, large quantities of which are produced and shipped from 
the county to southern points and the coal fields annually. Dairy, orchard, 
and vegetable products are very considerable and are sources of much 




Southwest Virginia is a large producer of late cabbage and is convenient for 
shipment over the South and Cuba 



revenue to the farmers. The streams are well adapted to game fish, and 
are very well stocked with different varieties, such as bass, red-eye, chub, 
suckers, and some mountain trout. 

The most profitable branch of industry in this county is stock raising 
and grazing. The area of limestone or strictly grass lands probably em- 
brace more than half the county. In Rich Valley, Saltville and other sec- 
tions of the county are found thousands of acres of blue grass of indigenous 
growth, equalling in every respect the far-famed blue grass lands of Ken- 
tucky; and as a consequence large numbers of fine cattle are annually 
raised and exported. Much attention is paid to the grade of cattle, the 
county boasting of its large herds of Shorthorns. Fine horses and sheep 
are also noted on the fertile fields. 




> 



Hand Booh of Virginia 197 



This county possesses unusual importance on account of its great mineral 
wealth. There are fine deposits of manganese and iron, there being con- 
siderable development at present in the mining of both ores. There are 
immense deposits of salt and plaster at Saltville and vicinity, immense quan- 
tities of each having been mined and manufactured for many years. These 
salt and plaster deposits are considered to be the most extensive to be found 
in the United States. The manufacture of timber is an important industry, 
and there are other important manufactories in the county, such as iron 
furnaces and forges, tanneries, brick works, grist mills, etc. There is also 
a large alkali plant at Saltville devoted to the manufacture of alkali, soda, 
ash, bleaching powder, etc., employing a large amount of labor. 

Transportation facilities are furnished by the Norfolk and Western 
Railroad which traverses the county. 

The rural roads are fair and receiving attention. School advantages 
are good; churches of all denominations abound, and farmers' organizations 
are active. Telephone service reaches nearly all sections and mail facilities 
are excellent. 

Marion, the county seat, is a thriving, handsome town of 3,000 people, 
located on the Norfolk and Western, with excellent school advantages, 
churches and banking facilities. Chilhowie, in the extreme western sec- 
tion of the county, has a population of 500; Sugar Grove, in the south- 
eastern section, 400; and Saltville, in the southwest, 2,000. These are all 
prosperous towns with good schools, churches and banks. 

The homeseeker and investor will find a fine farming and grazing sec- 
tion in this county. The south side contains valuable deposits of manganese 
and iron ore. Much fine timber is left in the county. In all. material, social 
and other respects, this may justly rank among the first of the counties of 
the Southwest, or of the State, and very few sections of the United States 
deserve more favorable mention. 

SOUTHAMPTON — Formed in 1784 from Isle of Wight, this county lies 
in the southeastern portion of the State, fifty miles from Richmond and 
thirty-six miles from Norfolk. The State of North Carolina borders it on 
the south. It contains an area of sisty square miles, and a population of 
28,893. LO*S 

The surface is level; the soil a rudium light and sandy loam, with 
clay subsoil, naturally very productive, especially the broad and fertile low- 
lands on the streams. Farm products are cotton, peanuts, corn, rye, oats, 
potatoes, legumes and some wheat, cotton, peanuts and corn being the lead- 
ing crops. Southampton ranks first in the production of cotton. It gives 
good yields, and is important as a secondary money crop. The boll weevil 
has not reached this section. Cotton gins of the most modern type are 
conveniently located in different parts of the county. Peanuts are the great 
money crop. Net returns on good crops run from $100 to $272 per acre. 
The average production of corn per acre is increasing, due to a better appre- 
ciation of seed and cultivation. As a supplementary feed crop the soy bean 
is taking a large place. Thousands of acres are being harvested by stock. 

Nothwithstanding cotton and peanuts are the most profitable products 
of this county, large revenue is derived from other sources, notably, truck, 
fruits and lumber. Small fruits and also cranberries grow to great perfec- 
tion on the alluvial bottoms. The soil and climate are admirably adapted 
to the raising of vegetables, and melons of the finest quality and flavor are 
produced. Sweet and Irish potatoes and peas of every variety grow in 
abundance. 

Stock raising has been overshadowed by the quick returns from peanuts 
and cotton. However, abundant water supply, long growing season, mild 
winters and the possibility of raising such a wide range of legumes and 
other forage crops offer unusual inducements for producing cheaply the best 
grades of beef, pork and mutton. Dairying has been given an impetus by 
the high price of milk, butter and cheese. Several carlots of dairy stock 
have recently been shipped into the county. Prosperity awaits the man who 
will take up these lines and operate them intelligently. Hogs are raised in 
this county in large numbers. 




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Hand Book of Virginia 199 

The lumber industry is very important. Laths, shingles and general 
lumber are the leading products manufactured. Several large manufactur- 
ing companies are operating in this county. Large government contracts 
have been handled recently. 

Railroad transportation is good, four trunk lines passing through the 
county. The roads are being improved. Large projects await development 
under return to normal conditions. Sand-clay suitable for surfacing is avail- 
able in a considerable portion of the county, proving satisfactory under a 
medium traffic. 

Community spirit is manifested in active farmers' organizations. There 
are forty-three white schools and ample supply for colored children. The 
rural school buildings are attractive and well planned. Churches are well 
distributed over the county, impressing the traveler with the fact that re- 
ligion holds a leading place in the thought and plans of the people. Four- 
teen banks are so located as to give excellent service. 

There are nine towns of considerable size and seven less important 
villages. Courtland, the county seat, is located in the central part of the 
county. Franklin, with a population of 3,000, in the eastern section, is 
headquarters for the lumber industry. A large lumber manufacturing plant 
employs 1,000 operatives. A large overall company of Danville will soon 
open a factory at this point. Many cotton and gin and several peanut 
cleaners take care of the raw material here. Other important towns are 
Boykins, Ivor, Drewrj'ville, Capron, Branchville and Newsoms. 

Progress and improvement in recent years have exemplified the resource- 
fulness of this county and possibilities of the future. Farm values have in- 
creased 200 per cent, on an average; and in places much more. From $100 to 
$500 per acre has been paid for land during the present season on tracts of 
twenty-two acres, and above, and a steady progress is assured in the return 
to normal conditions. 

SPOTSYLA'ANIA — Situated forty-miles due north of Richmond, this 
county was formed in 1720 from Essex, King William and King George. It 
is twenty-five miles from north to south, and seventeen miles wide from 
east to west, containing an area of 401 square miles, half of which is culti- 
vated. The population is about 10,000. 

The surface is rolling, elevation about 45 feet above the sea, and the 
soil very productive and varied in kind and quality. The uplands are a 
stiff clay, while that of the bottoms and valleys is a sandy loam, the latter 
producing fine crops of corn and other products. Wheat, oats, rye, hay, pota- 
toes, tobacco, and legume crops are grown, especial attention being given to 
trucking, dairying and breeding. 

Many fine dairies and successful stock farms bear testimony to the agri- 
cultural advantages of this section. Successful general farming, extensive 
trucking, a profitable commercial dairy, and the raising of pure bred dairy 
cattle and other farm animals may be seen in operation on one farm, ready 
markets being found in Fredericksburg and accessibility to larger points. 

Fruits do well in this section, apples, peaches, pears and grapes. Poul- 
try raising is also a source of considerable revenue. Fish are abundant, 
and on the rivers are found the choicest of tidewater fowls, and in the 
marshes sora, woodcock, etc. 

The county has two lines of railroad, one connecting with the main 
trunk lines of the country at Washington and Richmond, and the other with 
two main lines south and west at Orange. The channel depth of the Rap- 
pahannock river is sufficient for river vessels of the largest tonnage, and 
a regular line of steamers from Fredericksburg connects this county with 
Baltimore and Norfolk, and at Norfolk with all foreign and coastwide lines. 
The Rappahannock river affords unlimited water power. A portion of the 
Richmond-Washington highway traverses this county 26.7 miles, which is 
of gravel construction. 

School and church advantages are excellent. One of the State Normal and 
Industrial Schools for Women is located in Fredericksburg. Community 
spirit is good and farmers' organizations and clubs are active. 



Hand Booh of Virginia 201 

Spotsylvania, the county seat, is located near the center of the county. 
Fredericksburg, situated in the northeastern section of the county, is in the 
first rank of progressive towns, with a population of 7,000. It is the con- 
necting point of the two railroads serving the county. It is 125 miles down 
the Rappahannock river to the Chesapeake Bay, and Fredericksburg is the 
outlet for the 250 miles of rich agricultural country on either side of the 
river. The city has many manufacturing plants, flour, meal and mill feeds, 
lumber, silk, clothing, dairy products, shoes, soapstone products, canned 
goods, excelsior, pickles, plows, saw mills, granite products and mattresses, 
and banking facilities are adequate. 

This county is rich, also, in historic reminiscences. The progressive, 
modern Fredericksburg profits from the thousands of tourists who yearly 
visit these shrines. Many relics and monuments of the Colonial, ante-bellum 
and Civil War periods survive to the present time. Tourists may visit 
"Kenmore," the home of Betty Washington; the Rising Sun Tavern, a famous 
hostelry of Revolutionary times; the farmhouse in which Washington spent 
his boyhood days; the famous battlefields of Fredericksburg — Chancellors- 
ville (where General Stonewall Jackson was mortally wounded) and the 
Wilderness. 

But this county is not living on memories of the past, rich as they are. 
The homeseeker and investor will find in Spotsylvania abundant evidence 
of industrial and agricultural development and advantages and facilities 
furnishing the reason for this development. 

STAFFORD — Formed from Westmoreland in 1775, Stafford county lies 
between the Potomac and Rappahannock rivers in the northeastern portion 
of the State, sixty miles north from Richmond. It contains an area of 285 
square miles, sixty per cent, of which is in cultivation. The population of 
the county, 1910 census, was 8,070, with an estimated increase of 4 per cent, 
at the present. 

The surface is generally rolling; the soil a sandy loam and naturally 
good. With proper treatment it is capable of great improvement and pro- 
ductiveness. Farm products are wheat, corn, rye and oats, of which good 
crops are produced. The grasses and legume crops are successfully grown. 
The most profitable industries of the county are its fruit, vegetable and 
poultry products, which are extensive and find ready sale in the nearby 
Washington and Fredericksburg markets. The pickling industry of this 
county is especially important. 

Grazing facilities are very good in this county, especially for sheep, the 
rearing of early lambs for the Washington and Baltimore markets being a 
source of considerable revenue. Large fisheries on the Potomac and tribu- 
taries afford profitable employment to labor and an important article of food 
supply for the people. 

The county is favored with excellent water and rail transportation by 
the Potomac and tributaries and the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Poto- 
mac Railroad, traversing the county north and south, thus affording choice 
of markets and convenient access to same. Rural road construction and 
maintenance are receiving attention, and the roads are in fair condition. 

Stafford Courthouse is the county seat. 

The natural advantages of Stafford as a good, general farming and truck- 
ing section, fostered by excellent transportation facilities, are not to be over- 
looked by the homeseeker and investor of industry and enterprise. 

SURRY — Surry is one of the oldest counties in the State, having been 
formed from James City county in 1652. It lies on the southside of the 
James river, thirty-five miles southeast from Richmond, and contains an 
area of 292 square miles. The population, according to 1910 census, was 
9,715. 

The surface is generally level and soil light and sandy. The principal 
farm crops are corn, wheat, oats and peanuts, peanuts leading, with a proper 



Hand Book of Virginia 203 

rotation of other crops, such as crimson clover, vetch, cowpeas and soy beans. 
Large quantities of peanuts are produced; and so well is the soil adapted 
to their growtli that land values, on this account, have greatly increased. 
The experience of the most enterprising farmers in this section shows that 
there are unusual possibilities in the production of peanuts along with a 
rotation of legume crops and with live stock. The profit derived from mar- 
keting the crop through hogs, as practiced to advantage in many of the 
Southern States, is claiming the attention of many peanut growers in this 
section. 

Marl, an essential asset in peanut cultural methods, is very accessible. 
A considerable portion of the county acreage is in timber, principally pine, 
oak, hickory, poplar, beech, walnut, cypress, holly and the gums, the manu- 
facture of rough and dressed lumber being an important industry. 

The county is well supplied with railroad facilities, having the Atlantic 
and Danville (Southern Railway ) passing up from the south near the center 
of the county to Claremont on the northwest border; the Surry, Sussex and 
Southampton Railway, from its connection with the Norfolk and Western 
Railway at Wakefield, on the southern border through the county to its water 
terminus on James river; the Norfolk and Western along its southwestern 
border, and eleven miles of the Surry Lumber Company's narrow gauge 
road connecting with the Atlantic and Danville Railroad at Spring Grove. 
James river also affords extensive shipping facilities, daily steamers of 
various lines touching at its numerous wharves. Rural roads are fairly good 
and improvement is under construction. 

The county is well supplied with schools: three high schools, five graded 
schools and six not graded. Churches of different denominations are well 
located. Farmers' organizations are active and community spirit is strong. 

Surry, the county seat, is located in the northeastern part of the county, 
on the Surry, Sussex and Southampton Railway, five miles from James river, 
and fifty-five miles southeast from Richmond. 

Dendron, located on the Surry, Sussex and Southampton Railway, is a 
town of 2,000 people, with a large lumber manufacturing plant. The railway 
shops of above line are also located here. 

Claremont is an attractive town, located on the James river at the ter- 
minus of the Southern Railway division traversing the county, in a fine agri- 
cultural section, with a population of 400 or more. There is a splendid new 
high school here, a number of general supply stores, two marl grinding 
plants, and a bank. 

Agricultural development in this county has increased a hundred per 
cent, during the past decade. Diversification is practiced, and stock raising 
and dairying are coming into prominence. Many western settlers have been 
attracted to the vicinity of Claremont and Spring Grove, five miles distant. 

SUSSEX — Sussex county was formed from Surry in 1754. It is located 
in the southeastern part of the State, thirty-five miles from Richmond, and 
contains an area of 490 square miles. The population, 1910 census, was 
13,664, with an estimated increase of 5 per cent, to the present. 

The surface of this county is slightly rolling; the soil, light sandy loam, 
with clay subsoil. Peanuts, corn, oats, cotton, Irish and sweet potatoes are 
the leading crops. The peanut is the great money crop and large quantities 
are shipped. Clover, alfalfa and grasses are being grown more and more 
each year, and, on account of the long growing season, give heavy yields. 
The natural grasses are abundant and nutritious, and stock can graze in 
the fields the greater part of the year. Farmers of this section are diversify- 
ing more, greater attention being paid to live stock, especially hogs. Good 
family orchards can be maintained in this section, apples, peaches, pears, 
grapes and small fruits doing well. 

Marl is present in abundance and used to good effect on the soils. Pine 
is the principal timber, the manufacture of lumber being an important in- 
dustry. There are a large number of saw mills in the county. 



Hand Booh of Virginia 205 

Blackwater river on the northeast border, and Nottoway river in the 
central portion, and their branches, furnish sufficient water supply and 
drainage. The climate is mild and healthful. Primary and high schools 
and churches of the different denominations are numerous and convenient. 

Railroad and market facilities are excellent, furnished by the Norfolk 
and Western, the Atlantic Coast Line and Southern Railroads, which traverse 
the northeast, southwest and southeastern portions, respectively. The rural 
roads are in very good condition, local sand-clay, gravel and marls being 
used for surfacing. 

The farmers are well organized in this county. Business principles prac- 
ticed in industry are carried over into agriculture, co-operative buying and 
selling being practiced, especially among the peanut growers. 

The county is principally agricultural, but Stony Creek and Jarratt on 
the Atlantic Coast Line, and Wakefield and Waverly on the Norfolk and 
Western, are thriving towns with good business houses, banks, high schools 
and large churches, Waverly being the largest with saw mills, stave mills, 
a cannery, peanut factories, planing mills, etc. Many newcomers from the 
north and west have settled in this vicinity during the past ten years, and 
it is only a question of a few years before this section will become a com- 
munity of small farms with land values as high as those in thickly settled, 
enterprising communities of other sections. 

Sussex Courthouse is the county seat, located in the center of the county. 

TAZEWELL — This county was formed from Russell and Wythe in 1799, 
and is situated in the southwestern portion of the State, 325 miles southwest 
from Richmond. It is forty miles in length, with an average width of about 
eighteen miles, containing an area of 557 square miles, one-half being under 
cultivation. The population at present is 23,925, increase since 1910 census 
2,500. Altitude at Tazewell 2,372 feet. 

Much of the surface is mountainous, and lying between are very many 
extensive and fertile valleys. The soil is principally limestone and very 
productive, and a peculiarity of this county is that the lands are generally 
fertile to the top of the mountains and do not wash. The soils are well 
adapted to the various grains — corn, wheat, rye, oats, etc. — and the culti- 
vated grasses, clover, timothy, red top, orchard grass, etc. But while boun- 
tiful crops of grain and grass can be produced, the farmers prefer to pre- 
serve their fine blue grass sod and engage in the much less expensive and 
more congenial and profitable occupation of grazing cattle, which is the 
leading industry of the county. Shorthorns are the leading type of beef 
cattle, and this is one of the great sections of Southwest Virginia producing 
export cattle. Large numbers of cattle (unsurpassed in quality) are exported 
from the pastures without being fed grain. Sheep of the finest grade are also 
raised in this county, and no section of the State is better supplied with 
fine draft and saddle horses. This county has perhaps the largest grazing 
capacity of any of the Southwest Virginia counties. With the exception of 
a part of the coal belt, three-fourths of its area is well adapted to agriculture 
and grazing, and within that area there is a wealth of blue grass lands 
which are the admiration of all who see them. Even the lofty ridges and 
mountains to their summits are covered with a luxuriant growth of blue 
grass which is indigenous. 

Oak and chestnut predominate among the forest products and the timber 
interest is an important industry. There are three large lumber companies in 
the county. Large quantities of coal are mined in this county, and within the 
last year several mines of manganese have been opened. 

Transportation facilities are first-class. The majority of the roads are 
macadamized or tarred, and they are still being built every day. The greater 
quantity of hauling is done by motor trucks and automobiles furnish general 
transportation for the public. 

The schools are maintained at a high state of efficiency; churches are 
numerous; farmers' organizations are doing a fine community work in co- 
operative buying and selling. 



Hand Booh of Virginia 207 

There are five incorporated towns. Tazewell, the county seat, has a 
population of 3,500, with a packing house, lumber plant, two banks, an ice 
plant, power plant, mills, and lime company. Graham, population 3,000, has 
extensive lumber interests and two banks. Pocahontas, population 4,000, 
located in the mining district, is a town of importance with two banks. 
Richland, population 900, has a large brick manufacturing industry, and is 
served by two banks. Cedar Bluff, with 400 people, has large woolen mills. 

Considerable attention is paid to fruit culture, to which the county is 
well adapted. Dairy, vegetable and poultry products find a ready market at 
the nearby coal mines. The raising of hogs is a recent profitable develop- 
ment. A great diversity of interests invites the homeseeker and investor to 
this progressive county so richly endowed with natural wealth. 

WARREN — This county was formed in 1836 from Frederick and Shen- 
andoah, and is situated in the northern part of the State, nearly 100 miles, 
air line, northwest from Richmond. It lies on the western slope of the Blue 
Ridge mountains, which separate it from Rappahannock and Fauquier on 
the southeast, and Frederick on the north, Clarke on the northeast, Shenan- 
doah on the west, and Page on the southwest. It is twenty miles long and 
twelve miles in width, containing an area of 226 square miles. The popula- 
tion, 1910 census, was 8,589. 

The surface is rolling and mountainous in some portions. About fifty 
per cent, is in cultivation. The soil is limestone and very fertile. Farm 
products are wheat, corn, oats, rye, buckwheat, potatoes and grasses. Stock 
raising ranks as one of the most important and profitable industries of this 
county. Large numbers of fat cattle are annually shipped to the northern 
and eastern markets. Considerable attention is paid to the raising of poultry. 
Fifty thousand ducks are sold annually from one of the largest duck farms 
in the country, near Riverton. 

The climate and soil are well adapted to fruit growing, and much care 
and attention is given to this industry, which is one of the most profitable 
in the county; grape culture, especially, has been extensively and success- 
fully carried on. One of the oldest and finest vineyards of the South is 
located in this county. 

Minerals are iron, copper and ochre. The manufacture of timber is an 
industry of some importance, there being a number of saw mills in the 
county. 

Railroad transportation is excellent, the Shenandoah Valley division of 
the Norfolk and Western Railway and the Manassas division of the Southern 
traversing the county, and rural roads are in good condition. 

Front Royal, the county seat, is located at the junction of the Shenandoah 
division of the Norfolk and Western and the Manassas branch of the Southern 
Railway. It is one of the most prosperous and attractive towns in the valley 
of the Shenandoah, noted for the hospitality and refinement of its people. 
Situated in the heart of one of the finest farming sections of the State, its 
commercial and manufacturing interests are varied and considerable. It has 
factories for making handles, collars, cigars; and also several large, up-to- 
date hotels, numerous business houses, educational institutions, public 
schools, newspapers, banks, churches and fraternal orders. A recent de- 
velopment is the Front Royal Canning Company with $50,000 capital stock. 
The educational institutions include Randolph-Macon Academy, a school of 
fine standing, splendid buildings and complete faculty; Front Royal College 
with four departments, and a well-equipped high school building. 

AVARWICK — This county, although novi^ a small county in area and 
one of the smallest in the State in population, was one of the original shirc3 
into which the State was divided in 1634, being named for the town of War- 
wick in England. It lies in a narrow strip along the northern shores of the 
James river entrance into the Chesapeake Bay, and contains an area of 
eighty-five sauare miles. The population (exclusive of the city of Newport 
News), is 7,500. 



208 Department of Agriculture 

The surface of the county is level, the soil a sandy loam, fairly produc- 
tive and easily cultivated and improved. The most profitable farm products 
are wheat, corn, oats, potatoes, etc., the average yield of which is very good. 
Trucking, market gardening and poultry are important industries. Fish, 
oysters and wild fowl are abundant, the trade in which constitutes a very 
important feature of the business of the county. 

Marl, the only mineral, is found in large quantities and is of excellent 
quality. The timber supply is limited, the principal varieties being oak, 
pine, ash, gum. There are some sawmills in operation in the county. 

The James and Warwick rivers afford ample drainage and excellent 
transportation facilities, railroad transportation furnished by the Chesapeake 
and Ohio traversing the length of the county. Construction and repair in 
rural roads is receiving attention. Market advantages are excellent; the 
cities of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Newport News and Hampton furnish superior 
facilities in this respect. 




The luscious cantaloupe grows everywhere in Virginia 

This county is exceedingly popular with sportsmen. Deer, fox, raccoon, 
squirrel and hare are among the wild game. Water fowls of the region 
abound, besides which there are such game birds as wild turkeys, partridges, 
woodcock and sora. 

Newport News, the county seat, is the natural metropolis of the rich 
•'Tidewater" counties of the Virginia Peninsula. This is a very thriving 
seaport city, located at the mouth of the James river, with a population 
of 30,000. Here is the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Plant, 
where are constructed many of the modern battleships of the United States 
Navy, as well as many other large vessels. This is one of the largest private 
shipbuilding plants in the world. Here also is located an aviation school 
of the United States Navy Department. Transportation facilities include 
seventy-five miles of terminal trackage, thirteen freight and coal piers, and 
two grain elevators with an aggregate capacity of 2,500,000 bushels. Freight 
rates west and south are lower than from Boston, New York, Philadelphia 
and Baltimore. 

Warwick county, with its metropolis, Newport News, presents a com- 
bination of advantages which are unusually attractive alike to investors 
and homeseekers. 



Hand Booh of Virginia 209 

WASHINGTON — Formed from Fincastle, January 28, 1776, this county 
is situated in the northwestern portion of the State — 350 miles by rail and 
240 air line from Richmond. It is one of the largest counties in the south- 
west, containing an area of 605 square miles. Population, 33,000. 

The surface is generally undulating and mountainous in parts, especially 
on the northern and southern borders, although least mountainous of any of 
the southwest counties. Its valleys are broad and present a beautiful picture 
in the alternation of hill and dale, of woodland and pasture. The soil varies 
in character and quality, but all lie upon a stratum of yellow or red clay, 
very fertile and productive. The gray or gravelly soil is adapted to wheat, 
rye and tobacco, and the dark, alluvial soil to corn and grass. The principal 
and most profitable farm products are wheat, corn, rye, oats and hay. 

This is a superior grass-producing section, especially of clover, timothy 
and orchard grass that yields largely. Bluegrass is indigenous to the soil, 
and the lands are readily susceptible to inoculation for alfalfa. This county 
is peculiarly adapted to fruit growing, poultry and stock raising. Thou- 
sands of cattle are exported or shipped east, and thousands of turkeys are 
shipped to eastern markets every year. The yearly shipments of poultry and 
eggs from Bristol are estimated at more than $1,000,000. Fruita of the 
various kinds, such as apples, pears, peaches, plums, grapes, etc., grow to 
perfection and yield abundantly. 

Owing to the value of the salt wells in the Saltville basin it was made 
the dividing line between Washington and Smyth counties, so as to throw 
equal values of this great wealth into each of the counties, and it would be 
difficult to estimate the approximate quantity of the Saltville deposit assign- 
able to Washington county; but it may be confidently asserted that it has 
inexhaustible deposits of both salt and plaster, close to the Washington-Smyth 
line, and dividing as it does with Smyth this valuable territory, a more 
specific description will suffice for both, which was found in report of Smyth 
county. 

Mineral springs are numerous and valuable, embracing chalybeate, alum, 
magnesia and sulphur waters, the most noted of which are the seven springs, 
on the Saltville branch of the Norfolk and Western Railroad, at which is 
made the famous "Seven Springs Alum and Iron Mass," of great efficacy in 
many forms of disease. Mongel's Springs, situated nine miles northwest of 
Abingdon, has a high local reputation for curative virtues. Washington 
Springs are situated one and one-half miles from Glade Springs in a lovely 
and healthful spot amid the mountains, and are regarded as having valuable 
medicinal and curative properties. There are four distinct varieties of the 
water, the most effective being alum, chalybeate and the White Sulphur 
Springs. 

Large quantities of red and brown hematite ores, magnetically iron ores 
and choice fluxing stone are found. The forests abound in unlimited sup- 
plies of timber, particularly hardwood, and the manufacture of timber is an 
important industry, both mineral and timber resources having a ready mar- 
ket in the enterprising city of Bristol, aspiring to rival her namesake in 
England as an important center in the iron industry. 

Railroad transportation is furnished by the main line of the Norfolk and 
Western traversing the county from northeast to southwest, and the two 
shorter branches of this division. This county has a special road law, nd 
the day of inadequate communication with tributary territory is ended. The 
county has made a wonderful advancement in the way of school develop- 
ment. Churches are numerous; community spirit is good; farmers are pro- 
gressive and well organized; there is a Farm Loan Association; and nume- 
rous banks, conveniently located throughout the county, are doing a good 
business. 

Abingdon, the county seat, is in the center of the county, on the Norfolk 
and Western Railway. This is an attractive residence town of traditional 
refinement and culture with a population of 3,000. 

Bristol is situated on the State line between Virginia and Tennessee, at 
the natural gateway through the mountains from North Carolina and Vir- 



Hand Booh of Virginia 211 

ginia into Tennessee and Kentucky. In the early days the trail of Daniel 
Boone passed near by. Situated in a section rich in agricultural, mineral 
and timber wealth, Bristol is 3, flourishing industrial city of 22,000 inhabi- 
tants. 

This section offers all the natural attractions of famous mountain re- 
sorts, the mean annual temperature of Bristol being 54.3, as compared with 
54.4, Asheville, N. C. In addition to its natural beauties, it many points of 
historic interest, Washington county offers a field of agriculture, fruit grow- 
ing and stock raising of first rank in the great Southwest section of Vir- 
ginia. 

WESTMORELxlND — Formed in 1653 from Northumberland, this county 
is situated in the northeastern poi'tion of the State, on the lov/er Potomac 
river, fifty-five miles northeast from Richmond. Its average length is thirty 
miles, and width ten miles, containing an area of 245 square miles. The 
population by the last census was 9,213, with an estimated normal increase 
at present. 

The surface of this county is generally level, but hilly in some portions. 
The soil is a light loam on river bottoms, stiff clay on uplands and easy of 
cultivation. Farm products are corn, wheat, millet, rye, clover and other 
legumes for hay. Potatoes, sweet and Irish, do well, and the raising of 
clover seed for market is a considerable industry. Orchard grass and timo- 
thy are successfully grown, as is alfalfa. 

Fruits of the various varieties, such as apples, peaches, pears, plums, 
strawberries, etc., grow well, and several canneries are located in this county. 
The soil and climate are especially adapted to the raising of vegetables, and 
trucking is an important industry. 

As in other Northern Neck counties, the numerous creeks and inlets 
abound in the finest fish and oysters and wild fowl. There are large natural 
oyster beds on these tidal waters, and the species of fish obtained embrace 
trout, rock, herring, shad, perch, caught by nets, traps and seines. 

Steamer transportation facilities are excellent on both the Potomac and 
Rappahannock rivers. Construction and maintenance of rural roads receive 
considerable attention and these highways are in fair condition. School 
and church advantages are good. 

Montross, the county seat, is an ancient town of importance, located 
near the southern border, six miles distant from landings on the Potomac 
and Rappahannock rivers, with which there is a daily mail communication. 
This attractive inland town has a handsome courthouse building and two 
strong banks serving a rich agricultural and industrial community. Other 
towns of importance are Kinsale and Colonial Beach, both having strong 
banks and important business interests. A recent industrial developw 
ment at Kinsale is the establishment of a broom factory. A great deal 
of broom corn is grown in Westmoreland county, and its enterprising 
people propose to ship the product in the finished state in future. 

This county enjoys the proud distinction of having been the birthplace 
of two of the Presidents of the United States — George Washington and James 
Monroe — besides another no less honored and distinguished Virginian, 
General Robert E. Lee. A fine citizenship of the present with splendid 
natural resources extends an inviting hand to the homeseeker and investor. 

WISE — Organized in 1856 from Russell, Lee and Scott, this county was 
named in honor of Henry A. Wise, then Governor of Virginia. It is situated 
in the great Cumberland range, in the extreme southwestern portion of the 
State, 380 miles from Richmond, and bounded on the north by the State of 
Kentucky. It contains an area of 413 square miles, twenty-fiye per cent, 
being under cultivation. 

The surface is hilly and mountainous; the soil mostly sandy. The 
valleys are fertile, and corn, rye, oats, millet, potatoes and sorghum are 
grown to some extent. The land is well adapted to growing vegetables and 
fruit. Splendid garden club work has resulted from recent efforts to in- 



212 Departw.ent of Agriculture 



crease production. The fruit industry is receiving more interest, and the 
raising of beef cattle is on tlie increase. Tlie products of the farm find a 
ready marl^iet in tlie numerous and extensive mining operations in the 
county. 

Some timber is manufactured, though this is not an important industry. 
Large tanneries are in active operation and also extract plants. 

Transportation facilities are very good, embracing the Louisville and 
Nashville, the Norfolk and Western, and Virginian and Southwestern Rail- 
roads. There are six short independent lines in the county, used principally 
as feeders for the mineral interests of the county, which are very varied 
and valuable, destined to make Wise one of the wealthiest counties in the 
State. The condition of the rural roads is good. 

The most important minerals are iron ores and coal (bituminous splint 
and cannel). Limestone and sandstone for building and other purposes are 
of very superior quality and abundant, the latter being very cheaply quarried 
and made ready for use in any desired shape or size. Iron is found in large 
deposits, especially in the neighborhood of Big Stone Gap, in the southwest 
portion of the county. Here, in close proximity to each other, are iron ore, 
limestone and coal. Few localities are more favorably located for the manu- 
facture of iron. With convenient transportation facilities these ores are 
being largely developed and mined and extensively worked by the furnaces 
here in operation. But the county's great wealth consists in its immense 
deposits of coal, having the greatest amount of bituminous and cannel coal 
to be found in any county of the State, the industrial value of which can 
scarcely be overestimated. In fact, there are few areas of like size and 
value in this particular to be found in the world. The coal and coke indus- 
try of the county is enormous. Prom year to year new mines become a 
hive of industry, teeming with thousands of laborers; and indications point 
to the establishment here of some of the largest collieries and coke plants 
in the United States. 

Manufacturing interests of this county are mainly iron furnaces and 
foundries. There are also tanneries, extract plants, and grist, saw and 
planing mills. The county is served by twelve banks. 

Wise, the county seat, is located near the center of the county, five miles 
from Norton, the largest town, located at the junction of the Clinch Valley 
division of the Norfolk and Western railway and the Lousiville and Nash- 
ville railroad. Norton is an attractive, wide-awake town and the center of 
large coal, iron and coke interests. Other towns, with strong banks, are 
Appalachia, Big Stone Gap and Coeburn. 

Wise county, with a healthful and invigorating climate, offers advan- 
tages of great industrial value with its immense wealth of coal, iron and 
coke. Its enterprising citizenship responded creditably to recent patriotic 
demands, further insuring its position in the splendid group of Southwest 
Virginia counties. 

WYTHE — Organized in 1790, this county was formed from Montgom- 
ery. It is located west of the Blue Ridge in the southwestern portion of the 
State, 270 miles southwest from Richmond, in the midst of the great mining 
and grazing section. The county contains an area of 474 square miles, one- 
half being in cultivation. The population is estimated at 22,600. 

The surface of this county is varied, mountain and valley alternating. 
Several mountain ranges traverse the county, mainly from northeast to 
southwest, between which lie extensive and very fertile valleys, notably 
Reed creek. Cripple creek, and headwaters of Holston on the west, forming 
an elevated plateau of high table land from east to west. These valleys 
contain blue grass and farming lands of high order, scarcely surpassed in 
the State. 

The staple crops are corn, wheat, oats, rye, barley, millet and hay, 
abundant yields of which are produced. Fruits and vegetables of various 
kinds are grown. These industries are receiving increased attention every 
year, in portions of the county constituting a very important and profitable 




u 



Hand Book of Virginia 213 

source of revenue to the farmers, for which there is always a ready cash 
market. The raising of cabbage, Irish potatoes and apples in the western 
part of the county is a large industry. These products are shipped to 
southern markets and bring remunerative prices. Being situated between 
the North and South, this location has unusual advantages in disposition 
of products. 

Agriculture is carried to its highest perfection in this county in the 
department of grazing, and in this respect it is scarcely excelled in the State. 
Its cattle, sheep and horse products are immensely remunerative, much of 
the former being exported and commanding the highest prices. 

This is one of the richest counties in the State in variety, quality and 
extent of its mineral wealth. In their development the county is making 
rapid advancement towards a position of commercial importance well calcu- 
lated to excite the just pride of her citizens. Alternating with each other 
on the south side of the county are wonderful veins and deposits of iron 
ores, manganese ores, and lead and zinc ores of extraordinary purity; while 
in the northern half of the county fine magnetic and brown iron ores are 
abundant. These minerals have been developed and found to exist in large 
quantities, and are being worked on a large scale in different sections of 
the county, the large enterprises affording excellent home market for the 
products of the farm. There are various mineral waters in the county, the 
principal of which are its many alum-chalybeate springs, also the arsenic 
bromo-lithia springs, both of high medicinal virtue. 

Transportation facilities are excellent for the many enterprises demand- 
ing them, furnished by the Norfolk and Western Railway, passing through 
the center of the county, and the Cripple creek branch of the Norfolk and 
Western extending into the great mining region of the southeastern portion 
of the county; also a branch of the latter ten or twelve miles into a rich 
mineral section, developing the celebrated Cripple Creek iron ores. Rural 
road construction and improvement receive considerable attention and the 
roads are kept in good condition. 

The United States Fish Hatchery, three and a half miles west of Wythe- 
ville, is quite an important enterprise in the county, and is rapidly stocking 
the waters of the State with the best varieties of fish. 

Wytheville, the chief town and county seat, is a pretty and flourishing 
town, situated near the center of the county, on the Norfolk and Western 
Railway, 2,360 feet above sea level. This is an attractive residence town, a 
center of culture and refinement, located in the midst of a splendid agricul- 
tural section. 

Rural Retreat is an important business center, with good hotels, banks, 
mercantile houses, etc., the cabbage industry of the vicinity around attract- 
ing much attention in the wholesale vegetalole market. Other towns of im- 
portance are Ivanhoe, Speedwell and Crockett, business centers with ade- 
quate banking facilities. 

As a prosperous business and agricultural section Wythe county is pre- 
eminent. 

YORK — This county was one of th? original shires into which Virginia 
was divided in 1634. It was first known as Charles county, bu , changed to 
York in 1642. In length it is thirty mil^s with a mean breadth of five miles, 
and containing an area of 124 square miles, about one-ha^f of which is in 
cultivation. It lies fifty miles southeast of Richmond. The population is 
8,500. 

The surface of the county is level, the soil varying from a light loam 
in the south to a clay in the north, the quality generally being very good. 
Farm products are corn, wheat, oats and potatoes. Considerable fruit of 
the various varieties is grown, and melons in gres^t abundance. The York 
and other streams abound in the fin-st of oysters, ani this is the leading 
money product of the county; also fish of every variety are in a.bundance. 
The fish and oyster industry and truck farming constitute the county's most 



Hand Book of Virginia 215 

profitable industries. Some portions of the county are very well adapted 
to stock raising, especially sheep. All legume crops grow well in this county 
and a number of farmers are growing alfalfa successfully. 

Transportation is furnished by the Chesapeake and Ohio passing through 
the southwest border' of the county, and numerous water courses. Besides 
the Chesapeake Bay, the York, Poquoson and Black rivers, there are nume- 
rous navigable creeks, all of which afford excellent shipping facilities. The 
condition of rural roads renders remarkably good service, and improvement 
and construction are in progress. Schools and churches are conveniently 
located and advantages afforded compare favorably with other sections. 

Yorktown, the county seat, is located on York river, near its mouth, 
thirty-three miles from Norfolk and seventy miles from Richmond. While 
a town of limited population, the branch of the Peninsula Bank recently 
located here, indicates the demand of a growing business in this section. 
Its historic interest is second to none in the confines of our great country. 
This ancient town is best known as the scene of the surrender of Lord Corn- 
wallis to the combined armies of America and France, October 19, 1781, 
having been the scene of the closing conflict for American Independence. 




A fine potato crop 

The notable event was a century later commemorated by the erection by the 
government, near the spot, of an imposing monument, ninety-seven feet in 
height, adorned with patriotic devices and inscriptions and pronounced by 
travelers to be the handsomest monument in the world. This county was 
also the scene of the first battle of the Civil War, fought at Big Bethel, as 
well as the last battle of the Revolution, fought at Yorktown. 

Beautifully located on the York river, this town is further enhanced in 
historic value by the Nelson and Moore mansions. "The Moore House," on 
Temple farm, lying in a peninsula formed by York river, Waverly creek and 
Mill pond, one mile east of Yorktown, is a precious relic of our past history, 
noted as the place of capitulation of Cornwallis to the armies of Washing- 
ton, Lafayette and Rochambeau. The house is stiU occupied as a residence, 
and stands about fifty feet above^ York river, commanding a beautiful view 
of the Chesapeake Bay, Yorktown •hionument and quaint old Yorktown. All 
along the river are beautiful residential sites, breezy the year round, over- 
looking the placid blue waters of the broad river. 

Other towns in the county are Grafton and Poquoson, the centers of 
growing business sections, with adequate bank facilities. The homeseeker 
desiring to locate in Tidewater will find attractive opportunities in York. 




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